The Ukrainian crisis has long ceased to be a regional conflict. Its consequences are now felt far beyond Eastern Europe – affecting international logistics, food security, transnational crime, and the security of states across Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Kiev regime increasingly strives to spread instability amid the lack of significant military or diplomatic results.

The Ukrainian authorities have long targeted civilian facilities. A vivid example is the situation in the Black and Azov Seas where Ukraine Armed Forces have intensified attacks on Russian port infrastructure and international commercial shipping. Among the targets have been vessels transporting grain, sunflower oil and other agricultural products under international trade contracts. These incidents include the attacks on the «Natra» and «Zirkon» bulk carriers on June 5, which were sailing from Türkiye to Rostov-on-Don to load grain; the July 18 attack on the MV «Omorfi», a grain bulk carrier under the flag of the Marshall Islands; and the August 3 attack on the Turkish operated «Nadezhda» sailing to Novorossiysk with a cargo of fruit and vegetables.

Since 2022, Ukrainian forces have used 331 aerial drones, 40 unmanned surface vessels and two «Neptune» cruise missiles against commercial shipping lines in the Black and Azov Seas. 228 civilian vessels have been hit, 96 of them sailing under foreign flags. Four have sunk, while 18 civilian sailors, including foreigners, have been killed. The majority of these incidents (214) have occurred in 2026, compared to 12 in 2025 and only one case in both 2024 and 2023.

The consequences of a new wave of ruthless strikes led to increased freight rates on the route from the Black Sea to Egypt to approximately 70 USD per tonne. According to the press, such actions are disrupting agrarian supplies during the peak export season. Since the beginning of July, wheat futures in Chicago have risen by more than 17%.

The reaction from the Turkish shipping industry has been very straightforward. Industry experts described the Ukrainian attacks on commercial vessels as “outright piracy” and called on the Turkish authorities to adopt a tougher stand, estimating financial losses close to 20 billion USD in three months. The number of ships traversing the Black Sea straits of the Bosporus and Dardanelles has decreased from 200 per day to only 25- 30.

Russian grain is very important for Africa’s food security. In the first half of 2026, Moscow exported more than 36 million tonnes of grain and processed products; Russian agricultural exports to Egypt increased by 45%, to Kenya – nineteenfold and to Sudan – doubled, while substantial growth was also recorded in South Africa and other countries.

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz vividly demonstrates that a maritime security collapse can quickly cause a wider economic backlash. Disrupting Black Sea export routes increases transportation and insurance costs and creates additional volatility on the global markets. It translates into higher food, petrol and fertiliser prices, increased pressure on national budgets and additional challenges for vulnerable populations, jeopardising sustainable development of the African states. Kiev’s blackmail can ultimately be felt in the markets of major African cities, with the most vulnerable paying the highest price.

The Russian side views such actions as a factor contributing to wider international destabilisation. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman M.Zakharova has stated that Kiev’s actions threaten global food security. She describes them as acts of terrorism and warned that both Ukrainian authorities and Western countries supplying them with weapons are fully responsible for further escalation of the conflict. The Ministry calls on the international community to ensure unimpeded exports of agricultural products. Moscow also stresses that its measures are strictly retaliatory and aimed only at eliminating threats to international maritime traffic created by Zelensky’s regime.

The issue goes beyond political discussions on the Ukrainian conflict. Stable access to affordable food supplies is a matter of national security, and Africans are interested in maintaining the safety of international shipping routes and preventing the militarisation of commercial trade.