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."



Taliban Say India Is a ‘Significant Regional Partner’ after Meeting

Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
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Taliban Say India Is a ‘Significant Regional Partner’ after Meeting

Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP

The Taliban's foreign office said they saw India as a "significant regional and economic partner" after meeting with its most senior foreign ministry official, the highest level talks with Delhi since their takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.
India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met acting Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai on Wednesday.
Afghanistan's foreign ministry said in a statement that they had discussed expanding relations with Afghanistan and to boost trade through Chabahar Port in Iran, which India has been developing for goods to bypass the ports of Karachi and Gwadar in its rival Pakistan, Reuters reported.
"In line with Afghanistan's balanced and economy-focused foreign policy, the Islamic Emirate aims to strengthen political and economic ties with India as a significant regional and economic partner," the statement from Afghanistan's foreign ministry said late on Wednesday.
India's foreign ministry said after the Delhi meeting that India was considering engaging in development projects in Afghanistan and looking to boost trade ties.
No foreign government, including India, officially recognizes the Taliban administration.
However, India is one of several countries with a small mission in Kabul to facilitate trade, aid and medical support and has sent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan under the Taliban.
Regional players including China and Russia have signaled they are willing to boost trade and investment in Afghanistan.
The Delhi meeting could ruffle Pakistan, which borders both countries and has fought three wars in the past against India.
Pakistan and Afghanistan also have a strained relationship, with Pakistan saying that several militant attacks that have occurred in its country have been launched from Afghan soil - a charge the Afghan Taliban denies.
Earlier this week India's foreign office told journalists they condemned airstrikes conducted late last year by Pakistan on Afghan soil.