Nearly 30 Ships Stop Around Ukraine’s Izmail Gateway after Russian Danube Strikes

A cargo ship sails followed by a Ukrainian Coast Guard cutter through the Bystre rivermouth, which connects the Black Sea and Danube, at a location given as Izmail district of Odesa region, Ukraine in this screen grab obtained from a handout video released on July 15, 2022. (Operational Command South press service/Handout via Reuters)
A cargo ship sails followed by a Ukrainian Coast Guard cutter through the Bystre rivermouth, which connects the Black Sea and Danube, at a location given as Izmail district of Odesa region, Ukraine in this screen grab obtained from a handout video released on July 15, 2022. (Operational Command South press service/Handout via Reuters)
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Nearly 30 Ships Stop Around Ukraine’s Izmail Gateway after Russian Danube Strikes

A cargo ship sails followed by a Ukrainian Coast Guard cutter through the Bystre rivermouth, which connects the Black Sea and Danube, at a location given as Izmail district of Odesa region, Ukraine in this screen grab obtained from a handout video released on July 15, 2022. (Operational Command South press service/Handout via Reuters)
A cargo ship sails followed by a Ukrainian Coast Guard cutter through the Bystre rivermouth, which connects the Black Sea and Danube, at a location given as Izmail district of Odesa region, Ukraine in this screen grab obtained from a handout video released on July 15, 2022. (Operational Command South press service/Handout via Reuters)

Almost 30 ships dropped anchor near Ukraine's crucial Izmail port terminal after Russia destroyed grain warehouses on the Danube river on Monday, data showed, although it was unclear exactly what had caused them to stop.

Monday's pre-dawn Russian air strikes wounded seven people and hit infrastructure along the Danube, a vital alternative route for Ukrainian grain since the demise last week of a year-old deal allowing safe exports via the Black Sea. Kyiv said the attack was an expansion of an air campaign Russia launched last week after pulling out of the grain deal.

According to Reuters calculations, based on ship tracking data from analytics company MarineTraffic, some 29 vessels, which also included chemical tankers, had stopped around Izmail.

A further three vessels had also dropped anchor along the waterway leading to the terminal of Reni-Odesa, the data showed.

There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian authorities.

Insurance industry sources have said war risk cover for Ukraine's ports that were part of the previous grain deal had been suspended. On Monday, three sources said some providers were also reviewing whether to continue to provide cover for Danube ports.

"The premiums for those that are still quoting is going to go up," one source said.

Since the collapse of the grain corridor deal and the increased targeting of ports and infrastructure by Russia, war risk underwriters were "forming their own independent views and deciding what is it is they are prepared to underwrite," David Smith, head of hull and marine liabilities at insurance broker McGill, told Reuters.

"The difficulty here is that unlike a rateable commodity, insurance costs for Ukraine right now are un-modellable."



Iran Airspace Closed 'Until Further Notice'

Army air defense firing is seen following the Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, June 14, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Army air defense firing is seen following the Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, June 14, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
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Iran Airspace Closed 'Until Further Notice'

Army air defense firing is seen following the Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, June 14, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Army air defense firing is seen following the Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, June 14, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Iran's civil aviation authority has declared the country's airspace closed "until further notice," state media reported Saturday, as Israel and Iran continued to trade fire for a second day.

"No flights will be operated at any airports in the country in order to protect the safety of passengers... until further notice," the official IRNA news agency said.

Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone strikes on Israel into Saturday morning, killing at least three people and wounding dozens, after a series of blistering Israeli attacks on the heart of Iran’s nuclear program and its armed forces.

Israel’s assault used warplanes — as well as drones smuggled into the country in advance, according to officials — to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists.

Iran retaliated by launching waves of drones and ballistic missiles at Israel, where explosions lit the night skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook the buildings below.

Both Israel and Iran said their attacks would continue, raising the prospect of another protracted Mideast conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that his objective was to eliminate any Iranian threat to Israel, but he also urged Iranians to rise up against their leaders.