Tankers and cargo ships are transiting the Bosphorus strait adorned with nets, water tanks, and tires to try to fend off growing Russian and Ukrainian drone strikes in the Black Sea. ^[1] Commercial ships transiting the Bosphorus strait are using nets, water tanks, and tires as improvised anti-drone defenses to protect against drone strikes, according to security experts and video obtained by Reuters. ^[2] Russia said it sees no grounds for the Black Sea grain deal to resume, rejecting Turkey's efforts, after Turkey mediated a deal in July 2022 that allowed nearly 33 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain exports and Russia withdrew in 2023. ^[3] Corey Ranslem, chief executive of maritime security group Dryad Global, stated that water-filled containers and 'cope cages' (netting) are popular countermeasures but may not be effective against bigger military types of drones. ^[4] The abandoned Russian-flagged cargo ship Omskiy-107 drifted from Russian waters to a northern Istanbul beach east of the Bosphorus with its command deck burned out. ^[5] Ukraine has stepped up attacks on ships and infrastructure facilitating Russian oil and grain exports since July. ^[6] Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan warned on 2026-09-01 that the Black Sea strikes had renewed global grain shortages, particularly in Africa, and called for an urgent resolution. ^[7] Ukrainian forces have stepped up targeted strikes against vessels and infrastructure facilitating Russian oil and grain exports since July 2026. ^[8] The abandoned Russian-flagged cargo ship Omskiy-107, with a burned-out command deck, drifted from Russian waters to a beach east of the Bosphorus, illustrating the risks to shipping. ^[9]