The recent multiplication of attacks on ships in the region of the Black Sea, in the context of the war between Russia and Ukraine, in a context of strong contraction in maritime traffic in the Bosphorus Strait, which in the third quarter of 2026 recorded a decrease of -23.2% compared to the same period last year. In fact, only 7,934 ships passed through compared to to 10,329 in the July-September quarter of 2025.

The transits of most of the main categories of ships transiting the Turkish Strait, starting with general cargo ships which totaled 2,789 transits (-23.7%), from other types of tankers with 1,289 transits (-19.9%) and bulk carriers with 1,057 transits (-47.3%). On the other hand, container ship traffic is stable with 952 transits (-1,1%).

In the third quarter of this year, ship traffic in the Dardanelles Strait, on the other hand, has contracted less marked as 9,952 ships passed through it (-12.8%)

The difference between the contractions of ship transits in the two Turkish straits is therefore significant. The Bosphorus, which is the main maritime passage between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, records a decrease almost double compared to the Dardanelles, which connect the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea. The different intensity of contraction can be reduced, at least in part, to the greater exposure of direct traffic towards the ports of the Black Sea to the effects of the war. The attacks against merchant ships, the risks to navigation, disruptions to port activities and uncertainty about security conditions may have led some vessel operators to reduce or modify their programs. Added to this are the possible changes in trade flows of cereals, petroleum and other commodities.

Considering the main categories of commercial vessels, the The most evident collapse is that of the transits of bulk carriers, which have practically halved in both Narrow. This is a particularly significant contraction, whereas the role of the Black Sea in the international trade of grains, coal, minerals and other bulk products. Ships for general goods have recorded a significant decrease, especially in the Bosphorus. As far as oil tankers are concerned, even This type of ship has been particularly affected by the events of the war, with attacks that in recent months have interested tankers engaged in the transport of crude oil and products oil tanks, in particular in the vicinity of Novorossiysk and the offshore terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. A marked The difference was marked by the contraction of transits of chemical tankers, more evident in the Bosphorus (-27.5%) than in the Dardanelles (-11.7%).

A separate chapter seems to be that of container ships, which show a decidedly different trend from that of ships for bulk cargo. Being substantially stable in both Narrow, with a slight increase at the Dardanelles (+1.4%), traffic of this type of vessel suggests a greater capacity of regular services with respect to bulk transport. The statistical tightness does not mean, however, that container carriers remained immune to attacks. The sinking of the container ship Contship Jet took place last month, after having been hit by naval drones in the exclusive economic zone confirms that ships in this category are also on display to significant risks.

Another category of ships that shows a very low contraction accentuated is that of ro-ro, which was particularly consistent in the Bosphorus where transits have reduced by more than half (-51.5% compared to -23.8% in the Dardanelles).

In clear contrast to the trend are the transits of car carriers, which are increased significantly in both the Bosphorus (+56.0%) and the Dardanelles (+49.1%), confirming an uneven trend in the various components of maritime traffic.