The Directorate General of Coastal Safety has told multiple ships bound for Russia's Novorossiysk that it is not currently issuing transit permits or needs more time to review applications via the Dardanelles Strait, according to people familiar with the matter. Some vessels have also been told the restriction applies to ships heading to Ukraine. Authorities have given no explanation for the move, which follows drone attacks earlier in the week that injured crew members — including Turkish citizens — aboard two Turkish-owned vessels. Vessels bound for Bulgarian or Turkish ports continued to transit north through the Dardanelles as of 1 p.m. local time on August 8.
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The restrictions follow Turkey's resumption of ship transits to the Black Sea earlier that same day after unexplained delays amid security concerns, and come hours after Russia struck Ukrainian port infrastructure and vessels in Odesa.
