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Regional conflicts in the Middle East have heightened the security risks for merchant shipping, particularly for vessels transiting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Following the formal ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October 2025, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi movement issued an order to suspend attacks on Israeli and Israeli-affiliated commercial vessels in these waters. However, a maritime security assessment for the Red Sea by Vanguard notes that this cessation is fragile and conditional.
Intermodal: Dry bulk market on a cautiously improving tone
UK marine workforce signals new expectations on salary and leadership
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Russia’s Black Sea port of Taman, a key hub for oil products, grain, coal, and other commodities, has suffered damage from a Ukrainian drone attack, the governor of Russia’s Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev, reported on 15 February.
According to Reuters, separate strikes were reported in the resort city of Sochi and the village of Yurovka, near the seaside town of Anapa, though damage in those locations was less severe, the governor added. Veniamin Kondratyev said in a post on Telegram that two people were injured when an oil storage tank, warehouse, and port terminals were hit in Volna village, the site of the Taman port complex.
Ukraine’s general staff confirmed it had carried out strikes on the port complex, Reuters reports. The attacks mark a resumption of Ukrainian operations targeting Russian energy infrastructure.
Russia, in turn, has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian energy and utility infrastructure, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without heat and electricity during an unusually cold winter.
Industry sources noted that approximately 4.16 million metric tons of oil products were shipped through Taman last year, highlighting the port’s strategic importance, Reuters notes.
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A Russian drone strike at a Black Sea port near Odesa killed one person and injured six others, Ukrainian officials reported on 13 February.
According to Reuters, the drone strike targeted one of Odesa’s three major ports, crucial for Ukraine’s maritime exports and wartime economy. The attack damaged infrastructure, fertiliser warehouses, and vehicles, sparking fires, but the port remained operational.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said Russia launched “massive strikes” on port and railway infrastructure. Ukraine’s air force reported that 154 drones and one ballistic missile were fired overnight, with 111 drones downed or neutralized.
Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper described the attacks as causing “substantial” disruption to power, heat, and water supplies, while DTEK, the country’s major private energy company, said the damage to energy infrastructure was “extremely serious” and repairs will take a long time.
Railway infrastructure in the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region was also attacked, Reuters informs.
A few days later, on 15 February, Russia’s Black Sea port of Taman suffered damage from a Ukrainian drone attack.
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A vessel was approached by a small craft off the coast of Yemen on 17 February according to the UKMTO.
The incident occurred 70 nautical miles southwest of Aden at 10:16 UTC, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported. The agency said the vessel was hailed by a white skiff carrying five people, followed by gunfire, and that two additional skiffs were also observed nearby.
It remains unclear whether the attack is connected to Yemen’s Houthi movement, which has previously targeted vessels in the area.
Attacks in the region have eased in recent months, allowing some shipping companies to resume Red Sea and Suez Canal transits rather than diverting around Africa.