On July 14 2026 Ukraine launched strikes at 11 Russian ships in the Sea of Azov. A wave of strikes followed weeks of similar attacks on vessels. Russia closed the shipping lanes quickly and called the strikes acts of terror. Kyiv reported it hit over a hundred ships in a week, with most sunk. Key export paths are now cut off for traders. Major outlets and Al Jazeera say new route talks are now under way. Moscow stated it will respond but Ukraine kept up strikes on Azov ships that day.