Turkey Submits Draft Black Sea Civilian Shipping Security Deal to Russia and Ukraine

Turkey submitted a draft memorandum to both Russia and Ukraine proposing an end to attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea, modeled on the mechanism of the 2022 Turkey/UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative (which Russia exited in 2023). The proposal focuses on protecting ships along the riskiest 4–5 mile stretch where vessels leave Ukrainian territorial waters and enter international waters, following a sharp rise in drone attacks on commercial shipping — at least 25 Turkish-owned vessels, four Turkish-flagged, have been hit since late June 2026.