Commercial shipping in and out of Ukraine has largely stopped amid wide-scale Russian military operations in the country and a Ukraine government notice Thursday to captains warning them to stay clear of the Sea of Asov.
Ships are banned from entering the waterway and are being asked to anchor if they are in port, according to one Kyiv shipper.
Marine traffic data show no vessels crossing the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea and Sea of Asov, overnight. Dozens of ships typically cross the strait daily to move commodities like steel, grains and manufactured goods.
The sea is also a key transit corridor for oil produced in Russia headed to European markets.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence data show more than 100 ships stuck in the southern entry of the Kerch.
Ship traffic to Odessa, the country’s biggest port, has also been disrupted.
Flag states and shipping operators are expected to issue advisories on ship diversions later today.
“So far, services in Russia remain available while we have decided not to call any ports in Ukraine until 28 February and stop acceptance orders to and from Ukraine up until further notice,” a spokeswoman for Danish shipping major A.P. Moller Maersk A/S said .