POWDER KEG BLACK SEA: Russia Is Striking Hard at Ukrainian-Bound Cargo Ships, Halting Odessa Region Ports’ Operations

Navigation has become too risky.

There’s no denying that Ukraine’s deep strikes into Russian infrastructure and the campaign against shadow fleet tankers are causing real problems for Russia.

But the effects of these strikes are always much exaggerated in the media, since Reuters itself has just reported that Russian budget revenues from the oil and gas sector in July increased by approximately 60% compared to the previous year.

It’s also been reported that Chinese refineries have been buying Russian oil.

In the meantime, the renewed strike campaign by Russian forces against cargo ships bound for Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea are throttling Kiev’s exports.

Worse – reports say no vessels are entering any Ukrainian ports in the Odesa region for the first time since the start of the war.

❗️ Shipping to Ukrainian ports stopped completely — Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy

All vessels have decided to stop calling at Ukrainian ports amid Russian strikes

The losses are estimated at $2 billion a month, since 80% of all Ukrainian exports go through those ports pic.twitter.com/8qyhC76jYY

— RT (@RT_com) July 23, 2026

Of course, in the MSM, when Kiev strikes Russian ships it’s a triumph, but when Moscow strikes Ukrainian-bound ships it’s treated as a despicable, criminal behavior.

Politico reported:

“’Russia is holding global food security hostage. Today zero vessels passed through Ukraine’s Black Sea maritime corridor — right at peak harvest. This is deliberate economic and humanitarian terror’, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in an evening statement on Wednesday.

‘Just as Iran targeted energy routes in the Strait of Hormuz, Russia is now targeting global food markets in the Black Sea. Millions of families across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America may face rising prices and hunger if this terror continues’, Sybiha added.”

Russian MoD: Geran-4 Seekers hit 4 cargo ships & a bulker carrying Ukrainian military supplies in the Black Sea & Chornomorsk port. Strikes also hit Odessa port sites handling unmanned boats. pic.twitter.com/7EcBLALmVo

— RussiaNews 🇷🇺 (@mog_russEN) July 22, 2026

Global shipping firm Maersk stopped operations at the Odesa region ports this week, redirecting cargo to Romania’s Constanta Port.

Voennoe Delo reported:

“Ukraine has effectively lost the ability to receive vessels at its seaports. Vladimir Zelensky confirmed that no ships were able to enter Ukrainian harbors on July 22. He made the statement during a joint appearance with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Kiev.

The Financial Times had previously reported growing difficulties with exporting Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea. The newspaper linked the deterioration in maritime traffic to Russian strikes on military facilities near ports used to supply the Ukrainian Armed Forces.”

🚨BREAKING NEWS

▪️Massive strikes on enemy ports, vessels, and supply facilities in Odessa continue.🇷🇺🚀🔥

▪️A bulk carrier was hit in the port of Chornomorsk while unloading military cargo, as well as logistics infrastructure facilities and fuel and lubricant storage tanks,… pic.twitter.com/BP22TuohvL

— Aleksey The Great 🇷🇺🎖 (@aleksthgrt) July 22, 2026

“During the night of July 23, the Russian Armed Forces carried out another series of coordinated strikes using air-launched precision weapons and attack drones. In the port of Odessa, the attacks hit infrastructure used to unload and store military cargo. Elsewhere in the city, a plant producing drone components and a warehouse holding completed unmanned aircraft intended for the Ukrainian military were also struck.

[…] Russian forces have regularly targeted facilities in Chernomorsk, Yuzhny, Izmail, Odessa and the Dnepro-Bug port since July 11. The targets have included berths, military cargo storage sites, fuel tanks, drone assembly facilities and vessels both at anchor and in transit.”

Russia slams the door shut on Western arms flowing into Ukraine through Odessa

The Russian army hammered key infrastructure in the port used for unloading and storing military cargo. They also obliterated a drone parts workshop and a massive warehouse packed with UAVs destined… pic.twitter.com/6c5bkR1bO3

— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) July 23, 2026

Read more:

FRIENDLY FIRE? Ukrainian Drones Strike Oil Tankers in the Black Sea – Including One Chartered by US Oil Giant Chevron