Russia's largest transport company refuses to transport cargo across the Black Sea

The Russian logistics market is being forced to massively rethink traditional maritime supply routes through the Black Sea. Following a series of attacks on civilian and cargo ships near Novorossiysk, major shipping companies have begun refusing to accept new requests for shipments along this route, as they cannot guarantee the safety of cargo or crews.

FESCO, one of Russia’s largest transport and logistics operators, has officially stopped accepting new requests for maritime cargo transportation in the Black Sea. The decision was made following a series of attacks on civilian vessels in the region, in particular following the sinking of the container ship “Yanina,” with a capacity of about 1,000 containers, on the night of August 1, and subsequent attacks by maritime drones on merchant vessels traveling from Turkey to Novorossiysk.

The operator is currently working to implement new security measures and is seeking alternative routes for transporting cargo. Since the route through Novorossiysk is effectively blocked for safe navigation, market experts and importers anticipate a forced reallocation of major trade flows.

Port facilities in the Far East remain the primary alternative route. However, this risks a repeat of the 2022 crisis, when a sharp increase in import volumes through the eastern gateway caused massive congestion in ports, overloading of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and months-long delays in the delivery of goods.

Source: The Moscow Times.

Ukrainian strikes using drones and unmanned boats have complicated the transport of Chinese goods to Russia via the Black Sea. Logistics and foreign trade companies are reporting significant delays on the China–Novorossiysk route.

The container ship “Yanina,” owned by the Russian company Fesco—a subsidiary of Rosatom—sank in the Black Sea. The Russian side claims that the vessel was attacked by two maritime drones on the night of August 1.