Ukraine says its drones have struck 201 Russian-linked ships in a little more than three weeks, a striking figure that has pushed Moscow toward arming grain carriers and further eroding the line between merchant shipping and military activity in the Black Sea, where civilian trade routes are increasingly exposed to the same security measures and retaliatory strikes that are reshaping wartime logistics.

Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said Operation MoLoChKa hit 129 vessels in the Sea of Azov between July 6 and 28, and another 72 in the Black Sea since July 15.

The numbers, which exclude attacks attributed to Ukraine’s security service and other military units, have not been independently verified. Brovdi said the campaign is aimed at smaller tankers and support ships that service larger export vessels and supply occupied Crimea, rather than the export ships themselves.

With commercial traffic through the Sea of Azov effectively suspended for the past two weeks, Russian military and transport officials are discussing a major escalation in ship protection, underscoring how quickly shipping practices are adapting to a conflict in which vessels themselves can become part of the security perimeter.

Proposals reported by Bloomberg include fitting grain carriers with armour, sandbags, anti-drone netting, mobile missile launchers and heavy machine gun mounts equipped with thermal or night-vision sights.

Under one plan, Russian soldiers carrying assault rifles would board ships at Azov ports, while military teams would temporarily install heavier weapons. The personnel, guns and ammunition would be removed after the vessels passed through the Kerch Strait.

Bulkers could also sail in convoys protected by patrol boats, with traders and owners expected to pay for the modifications and escorts. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s navy could protect commercial ships, while acknowledging that placing weapons on civilian vessels was prohibited under international law.

The proposal follows a precedent already seen in the Baltic, where recent photographs showed heavy machine guns mounted in sandbagged positions aboard the Gazprom-controlled LNG carrier Marshal Vasilevskiy.

Arming bulk carriers would have significant implications for crews, insurers and charterers. Ships carrying military weapons or soldiers risk being treated as combat-support assets, which could make them more, rather than less, attractive targets and complicate war-risk cover, port entry and flag-state oversight.

Russia has also stepped up its own attacks on shipping over the past 24 hours.

The Russian Ministry of Defence said its forces struck at least two Ukrainian vessels on Tuesday. One was described as a bulk carrier carrying military equipment in Black Sea waters south of Odesa, while another was hit alongside infrastructure at Mykolaiv.

Moscow said loading facilities and fuel and lubricant tanks used to support Ukrainian forces were also targeted. It did not identify the vessels or provide evidence for its description of their cargoes, and the claims could not be independently verified.

The reciprocal campaign is now disrupting export logistics on both sides of the Black Sea.

Three Russian terminals — NZT and KSK at Novorossiysk and ZTKT at Taman — have restricted grain deliveries by truck as cargo diverted from the Sea of Azov overwhelms alternative gateways. The facilities can handle more than 20 million tonnes a year, compared with total Russian seaborne grain exports of around 50 million tonnes.

Port Kavkaz has been closed since restrictions were imposed on Azov traffic, while nighttime ship movements at Novorossiysk have been banned because of drone risk. Analysts estimate Russia could lose between 500,000 and 1.5 million tonnes of grain exports each month if the disruption continues.

Ukraine’s export corridor is also under severe strain. Inbound vessel traffic has been suspended since July 23, with repeated attacks on ships and Odesa-area port infrastructure prompting operators including Maersk to halt services.

The disruption has extended beyond grain. Pivdennyi Mining and Processing Plant has begun suspending extraction after several shiploads of iron ore accumulated at ports and company warehouses. With no space to store additional output, the miner plans to keep extraction halted until August.

In related news, the US Senate last night advanced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by 86-12, targeting Russian officials, financial institutions, shadow fleet shipping and major buyers of Russian energy. The bill allows tariffs of up to 100% on leading purchasers and sanctions-evasion facilitators, plus duties of up to 500% on direct US imports from Russia. Shipping impacts could include reduced availability of older crude tonnage, cargo redirection and longer voyages. However, the measures are discretionary, waivers remain possible and House action is delayed until after August 31.