Hundreds of ships are stranded because of the war in Ukraine, threatening the fate of crews and global trade

 Hundreds of ships are stranded because of the war in Ukraine, threatening the fate of crews and global trade

Misfortunes never come alone

As the Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Banglar Samriddhi was moored near the Ukrainian port of Olvia, the crew heard a loud bang.

Ukrainian authorities said the missile hit the cargo ship at 5:25 p.m. on March 2, killing one crew member and severely burning several others. This is the fifth merchant ship to crash off the coast of Ukraine since the war with Russia broke out.

The military conflict between the two former Soviet Union countries has severely hindered shipping in the Black Sea, with great consequences for global supply chains and international shipping.

Maritime tracking companies say dozens of cargo ships are stuck in the Ukrainian port of Mykolaiv. British company Windward estimates about 3,500 people are trapped in about 200 ships in the ports of this Eastern European country.

Russian goods struggle to find a way out: Aviation is banned, sea routes are also ignored

As a result, the world's second-largest grain exporter is shutting down. Ukraine accounts for about 16% of global corn exports.

In addition, Russia and Ukraine account for 30% of world wheat exports. Wheat prices have jumped more than 55% since the week before the crisis broke.

Salvatore Mercogliano, a professor at Campbell University (USA), commented: "The current shock to the global grain supply chain is the biggest supply shock since OPEC stopped supplying fuel to the US in the years. 1970. This means that the Middle East and Africa could experience food shortages, and worldwide inflation would soar."

What makes the situation for global carriers worse is that thousands of Ukrainian and Russian crew members are stranded in ports around the world. Ship owners are racing to find replacement staff to keep the supply chain running.

According to Ukrainian port authorities, in the Black Sea and Sea of ​​Azov - important oil and food export routes, five oil tankers and cargo ships were hit by missiles. The ships in distress were from Japan, Turkey, Moldova and Estonia, transporting diesel, clay and grain.

Ukrainian authorities blame Russia, and Russia denies any responsibility. According to the Wall Street Journal, Russian forces have aimed missiles at infrastructure at Ukraine's ports to seize the southern coast, to prevent the country from accessing the waters and choke the local economy.

On March 3, the Estonian ship MV Helt sank after being hit, the owner said. Ukraine's navy accuses Russia of forcing commercial ships to move into dangerous areas of the Black Sea to conceal military activities.

Ukraine's border guard service wrote on Facebook: "Russia uses the Helt boat as a shield to hide behind, avoiding Ukraine's anti-ship weapons." The Ukrainian port official also said that Russian forces had seized two Ukrainian merchant ships.

Ukraine's small fleet is no match for the Russian navy. The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukraine's navy lost most of its ships when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Last week, the Ukrainian navy sank its only frigate in Mykolaiv to avoid falling into the hands of the Russian navy, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov announced.