Akkon Lines and Arkas Halt Russia Services as Black Sea Attacks Escalate

Turkish carriers Akkon Lines and Arkas suspended all services to Russian Black Sea ports in late August, citing escalating risks after drone strikes damaged ships on those routes.

Akkon sent customers a notice on 27 August ending calls to all Russian ports. The company said it had "concluded that further escalation poses increased risks to the crew, vessel, and cargo." One of its ships was struck by a drone near Novorossiysk on 21 August and declared a constructive total loss. Eleven crew members were rescued; one remained missing. According to Maritime Executive, the vessel was a 2004-built, 13,000-deadweight-tonne, 1,096-TEU ship flying a Barbados flag. Arkas issued a similar halt around the same time.

MSC suspended Novorossiysk bookings after its container ship ULSAN III was struck while en route to the port, adding a third major carrier to the list.

For operators still crossing the sea, improvised defences have become common. According to gCaptain, ships have fitted water-filled tanks around their sterns, hung tyres over their hulls, and rigged netting structures called cope cages over their superstructures to deflect smaller drones. The tanker Caruzo passed with tanks in place on 11 August. The Russian-flagged Khrizopraz transited on 27 August with tyres hanging over its hull.

Attacks on civilian shipping left the tanker Golden Sapling beached near Samsun and the Omskiy-107 grounded in Istanbul in late August. The Omskiy-107 had its bridge gutted by fire before drifting into Istanbul's Sile district.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on 31 August that Turkey had "prepared a plan" to arrange safe Black Sea passage and was working with both sides, according to Hurriyet Daily News. The statement echoed the structure of the 2022 Black Sea Grain Initiative.