Ukraine Proposes Temporary Halt to Black Sea Civilian Attacks

Ukraine has proposed a temporary halt to attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea as a surge in strikes on ships and ports disrupts trade and raises concerns about global food supplies, according to a source familiar with the matter cited by Reuters.

The proposal was conveyed to Moscow through a third party, and Kyiv is still waiting for Russia to respond, the source said.

The development comes as Russia and Ukraine, both major players in global agricultural markets, accuse each other of escalating attacks on vessels and port infrastructure involved in exports.

Ukraine has increasingly relied on alternative shipping arrangements after several shipowners stopped calling at ports in the Odesa region in late July following Russian attacks on vessels. Odesa is a key hub for Ukraine's grain exports.

Russia has also faced disruption to its own Black Sea trade. Moscow temporarily halted operations at all three terminals at the Novorossiysk port for two days following a Ukrainian attack, according to Reuters. The disruption is expected to put further pressure on Russia's grain exports.

Neither the Kremlin nor Russia's Foreign Ministry immediately commented on Ukraine's reported proposal. Before the Reuters report emerged, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Moscow had not received any formal proposal for a Black Sea ceasefire.

"Recently, we have been hearing many calls for various kinds of moratoriums and truces," Grushko said, according to Russia's state-run TASS news agency. He added that Moscow had received no formal proposals through official channels.

The report also affected global grain markets, with European wheat prices giving up some of their gains after reaching a two-week high earlier in the week.

The Black Sea has been central to Ukraine's agricultural exports since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. A UN- and Turkey-brokered agreement initially allowed Ukrainian grain shipments to continue despite the war, helping ease concerns about a wider global food crisis. Russia withdrew from the arrangement in 2023.

Ukraine subsequently established an alternative maritime corridor that remained operational until the latest escalation. Kyiv says other options, including rail transport and routes through the Danube, cannot fully replace shipping through its Black Sea ports.

Turkey has also raised concerns over the recent attacks. Ankara has urged both Russia and Ukraine to agree to a moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea.

The renewed disruption is already weighing heavily on Ukraine's agricultural trade. Ukrainian grain exports have fallen 76% year-on-year so far in August, according to Reuters, while the country's agricultural sector has warned that a prolonged disruption to Black Sea shipping could have major consequences for the wider economy.