Story perspectives

Turkey Halts Dardanelles Permits to Russia, Cites Drone Attacks

8/9/2026

Summary

Story summary

Turkey's Directorate General of Coastal Safety stopped issuing Dardanelles permits for commercial ships bound for Russia's Novorossiysk.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry reported crew, including Turkish nationals, were injured in drone attacks on two Turkish-owned vessels.
Turkey urged Moscow and Kyiv to declare a Black Sea moratorium, warning that escalation would harm food security, while ship-tracking showed vessels to regional ports still passed but those to Novorossiysk and Ukraine faced limits.

History

Historical Context

Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea triggered Western sanctions, a UN General Assembly vote (100-for, 11-against, 58 abstentions) and the suspension of the G8 summit, tightening control of Black Sea trade routes. Since then Moscow has militarized the peninsula and relied on ports such as Novorossiysk. In 2024 Turkey’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety halted Dardanelles permits for commercial ships to Novorossiysk, echoing sanction measures.

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Story summary

Turkey's Directorate General of Coastal Safety stopped issuing Dardanelles permits for commercial ships bound for Russia's Novorossiysk.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry reported crew, including Turkish nationals, were injured in drone attacks on two Turkish-owned vessels.
Turkey urged Moscow and Kyiv to declare a Black Sea moratorium, warning that escalation would harm food security, while ship-tracking showed vessels to regional ports still passed but those to Novorossiysk and Ukraine faced limits.

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