Global Trade Frayed by Pandemic Hit By Shocks of War

Global supply chains came under mounting stress as the Russian invasion of Ukraine intensified, with transport routes hitting obstacles ranging from financial sanctions and closed airspace to armies intent on cutting off the logistics of war.

At least three merchant ships were reportedly shelled, and insurers are either refusing to cover vessels sailing into the Black Sea or demanding huge premiums to do so. An Antonov-225, the world’s biggest cargo plane, was reportedly damaged or destroyed by Russian forces while it was under repair at an airfield near Kyiv.