Russia Declares Black Sea Waters Unsafe for Navigation After Vessel Attacks
Russia has declared its Black Sea waters unsafe for navigation due to drone threats, while Houthi militants have opened a new front by attacking Saudi oil tankers in the Bab el Mandeb strait, amid separate conflicts in Sudan, the West Bank and Nigeria's Plateau state.
Escalating Threats to Global Shipping Lanes
Russia warned vessels of drone dangers in its Black Sea exclusive economic zone, which includes approaches to the key export port of Novorossiysk, following Ukrainian attacks that hit at least 124 Russia-linked vessels including 89 tankers between 8 and 20 July. [3] Houthi rebels, who support Iran, attacked two Saudi-oil-carrying tankers with drones and missiles in the Red Sea, banned Saudi vessels from ports on the Red Sea's eastern coast, and have disrupted shipping through the Bab el Mandeb strait that carries about 5% of global oil and gas shipments. [2] These developments have created simultaneous risks in two major maritime corridors. The Black Sea warning followed a drone attack on a tanker loading oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium marine terminal in Novorossiysk, after which transhipment of crude oil was suspended. [3] In the Red Sea, the Houthi actions have prompted more than a dozen vessels to turn away from the Bab el Mandeb strait toward the Suez Canal. [2] Oil prices have already responded, with Brent crude topping $100 per barrel. [2] Shipowners have also suspended some calls at Ukrainian ports for agricultural produce because of ongoing Russian strikes on Odesa and Chornomorsk. [3] The combined pressure on these routes forces operators to consider longer alternatives around the southern tip of Africa when both chokepoints become unreliable.
Russian Warning on Black Sea Navigation
Russia has warned all vessels of the dangers of navigation within its exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea following a series of attacks on Russia-linked ships. [3] The warning cites a threat from drones and covers approaches to several ports, including Novorossiysk, one of the country's key export hubs. [3] Between 8 and 20 July at least 124 Russia-linked vessels were attacked in the Black and Azov Seas, including 89 tankers, according to Ukraine's General Staff. [3] Ukrainian strikes on Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea have matched or exceeded the intensity of the tanker war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s. [3] A drone attacked a tanker while it was loading oil at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium marine terminal located in Novorossiysk, after which transhipment of crude oil was suspended. [3] Russia is simultaneously attacking the Ukrainian ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, leading some shipowners to temporarily suspend calls at Ukrainian ports to load agricultural produce. [3] The exclusive economic zone declaration directly affects commercial traffic seeking to use Novorossiysk for exports.
Russia declares Black Sea waters unsafe for navigation due to Ukrainian drone threats. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Houthi Attacks Open New Red Sea Front
Irania tukevat huthikapinalliset ovat aloittaneet saudiöljyä kuljettavien alusten häirinnän ja kieltäneet niiden pääsyn satamiin Punaisenmeren itärannikolla. [2] The group announced it had struck with drones and missiles the tankers Encelia and Layla in the Red Sea, both carrying Saudi oil. [2] Encelia sent a distress call off Jizan port after its bow caught fire. [2] Bab el Mandebin kautta kulkee noin viisi prosenttia öljy- ja kaasutoimituksista. [2] In 2024 the strait carried 4.1 billion barrels of crude oil. [2] When traffic through the Strait of Hormuz became riskier, companies rerouted vessels through Bab el Mandeb, the world's second-most important sea route toward the Indian Ocean and Asia. [2] A closure of both Hormuz and Bab el Mandeb would force ships to sail around the southern tip of Africa. [2] The Houthi ban on Saudi vessels and the strikes have already produced visible effects, with more than a dozen ships turning back and Brent crude prices rising above $100 per barrel. [2] Huthit ovat Jemenissä toimiva aseellinen, poliittinen ja uskonnollinen liike, joka käy Pohjois-Jemenissä sissisotaa maan hallitusta vastaan. [2] Jemen is effectively divided by the conflict. [2] The Yemeni parties agreed a truce in 2022 that has largely held until recent escalations linked to wider Iran-Saudi tensions. [2]
Displacement and Returns in Sudan's Conflict
Over 4.6 million displaced people have returned to their areas in Sudan according to the UN migration agency, but the number of internally displaced people remains at nearly 8.69 million. [4] The International Organization for Migration reported the return figure while confirming that nearly 8.69 million people are still internally displaced inside the country. [4] These numbers reflect the scale of movement caused by ongoing fighting, with returns occurring even as large numbers of people remain uprooted.
Russia declares Black Sea waters unsafe for navigation due to Ukrainian drone attacks. — Source: anadolu
Israeli Operations in the West Bank
Israeli forces killed two Palestinians and withheld their bodies in the occupied West Bank, while shutting all entry points to the town of Beit Furik. [5] The Israeli army closed every entry point to Beit Furik in the northern West Bank, according to the town's mayor. [5] The withholding of the bodies followed the killings carried out by Israeli forces. [5]
Nigeria's Plateau State Moves to Curb Herder Influx
The Qua'an-Pan Local Government Council in Nigeria's Plateau State banned unauthorised herder settlements and grazing on cultivated farmlands to prevent criminal infiltration and maintain peace between indigenous communities and Fulani herders. [1] The directive was announced by Executive Chairman Christopher Manship during a stakeholders’ meeting with traditional rulers and leaders of Miyetti Allah at the Felix Dakyap Guest House in Doemak. [1] The council will no longer tolerate the influx and settlement of herders migrating into Qua’an-Pan from other states or local government areas without the knowledge and consent of host communities and the leadership of Miyetti Allah. [1] The measure aims to prevent criminal elements from infiltrating the local government under the guise of pastoral migration and to preserve the peace currently enjoyed in the area. [1] Any herder found grazing cattle on cultivated farmlands will be held accountable in accordance with the law, and pastoralists are urged to restrict grazing to designated grazing reserves and fallow lands. [1] The Chairman of the Qua’an-Pan Local Government Traditional Council of Chiefs, His Royal Highness Nda Miskagam Leklat, commended the step and called for intensified sensitisation at the grassroots and reporting of suspicious movements. [1] The Chairman of Miyetti Allah in Qua’an-Pan, Alhaji Sai’du, pledged full cooperation and enhanced internal coordination to ensure compliance while preventing the influx of persons with questionable backgrounds. [1]
What to watch next: Further vessel movements away from the Bab el Mandeb strait, additional Russian navigation advisories in the Black Sea zone, and any updates from the UN migration agency on returns versus ongoing displacement figures in Sudan.
