A ship from Ukraine ran aground in the Bosphorus Strait in Turkey, closing the critical transport route to maritime traffic, Turkey’s coastal security authority announced on Monday. Around 48,000 ships pass through the strait annually, carrying 55 million tonnes of oil and large quantities of Ukrainian and Russian grain.
The Bosphorus Strait connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean via the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles Strait. The strait is one of the busiest waterways in the world, with four times more traffic than the Suez Canal and four times more than the Panama Canal.
The vessel in question, bulk carrier “MKK 1,” which flies the flag of Oceanian nation Palau, ran aground near the coastal Turkish village of Umuryeri. Special vessels are attempting to re-float the 142-metre-long freighter.
It is not currently known what the ship was carrying, or whether the ship was taking part in deliveries as part of the UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative. According to data from UN authorities, the MKK 1 previously transported 13,000 metric tonnes of peas to Europe as part of the deal on 8 January.
Moscow and Kyiv signed the grain deal last July to allow grain exports from Ukraine, unblocking Ukrainian ports to ensure food supply to developing countries. Experts had previously warned that a sustained Russian blockade would significantly aggravate world hunger.
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As part of the deal, ships travelling in the Black Sea must be inspected by the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) before being authorised to cross the Bosphorus Strait.
Russia has repeatedly accused Kyiv of using the agreement for military purposes, such as the attacks on the Kerch bridge, which links the illegally annexed Ukrainian Peninsula of Crimea to Russia. No evidence has supported the Kremlin’s claims.
In September 2022, another ship ran aground in the strait. The "Lady Zhema" became stuck, along with its cargo of 3,000 tonnes of maize. The incident caused significant delays to naval shipping in the region.
