Ukraine to the UN: Russia attacked over 50 ships in the Black Sea over the summer

In the summer of 2026 alone, Russia attacked more than 50 civilian vessels, killing almost 30 people.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa stated this during a meeting of the UN General Assembly on the situation in the temporarily occupied territories, Ukrinform reports.

Russia systematically attacks Ukrainian agricultural and port infrastructure, civilian vessels, and sea routes, trying to undermine Ukraine’s export potential. According to Betsa, such attacks threaten global food security.

“In recent years, Russia has damaged more than 1,050 port infrastructure facilities and attacked more than 240 civilian vessels, and in the summer of 2026 alone, Russia attacked more than 50 vessels. Almost 30 people were killed,” she noted.

Betsa recalled that about 90% of Ukrainian grain and oilseed exports are carried out through Black Sea ports, while alternative routes cannot match sea transportation in terms of volume.

Recent attacks have already disrupted international food supplies and raised concerns in major importing countries.

“There is no justification for these actions by Russia, which are completely illegal under international law,” the official said, calling on the international community to increase pressure to stop Russian terror and protect millions of people around the world.

Betsa separately pointed to Russia’s systematic theft of Ukrainian grain from temporarily occupied territories. In 2025 alone, more than 2 million tons of Ukrainian grain worth about $400 million was illegally seized and exported to foreign markets, including through the so-called shadow grain fleet.

“Stolen Ukrainian agricultural products must be seized, not legitimized,” the deputy minister concluded. Against this background, Ukraine and Egypt recently discussed the safety of shipping in the Black Sea.