Ships crossing the Black Sea rig makeshift armor against drone strikes

Maritime traffic through the Bosphorus is increasingly protected by improvised defenses such as nets, water tanks, and heavy tires to shield ships from Russian and Ukrainian drone strikes in the Black Sea, as security experts report and images show. The abandoned Russian cargo ship Omskiy-107, with its command deck burnt out, drifted to an Istanbul shoreline, underscoring the danger to civilian vessels. Ukraine has intensified attacks on ships and infrastructure linked to Russian oil and grain exports, while Russia has also escalated strikes on Ukrainian export hubs, raising overall risk for global trade routes. Experts note that cope cages and other measures can help against smaller drones but may be less effective against larger military drones. The escalation threatens critical energy and food corridors, contributing to higher war-risk premiums in marine insurance and tightening shipping costs for global markets.