Ukraine and Russia are attacking cargo ships in the Black Sea in a bid to target each other’s valuable grain exports. Hundreds of ships have been hit and many sunk with loss of life. Istanbul dockyards are spending much of their time repairing damaged vessels, says yard manager Omer Butun. Captain Anar warns crews are wary of sailing to the Black Sea. Now, many cargo ship owners are refusing to send their ships, according to Ziya Uzel, a ship owner. With exports seriously curtailed and prices rising, international grain broker Can Atbasoglu warns a global food crisis could be looming, given that over a quarter of the world’s wheat passes through the sea. At the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Turkey successfully helped broker a deal to allow the safe passage of grain cargo ships. But former Turkish ambassador Mithat Rende warns that the situation is much more difficult. 

This video summary was created by AI from the original DW script. It was edited by a journalist before publication.