Istambul shipping channel – new environmental risks and threats to the Azov and Black seas

Maritime transport and the delivery of goods and cargoes across oceans and seas are the basis of the modern economy. There are artificial sea channels that have significantly changed the world and around which heated political debates and military clashes break out. Currently, options for the construction of a new Istanbul shipping channel near Russia and in the sphere of its geopolitical influence are being considered. The authors consider the environmental risks of the canal construction, which remain “in the shadow” of the discussion about the future geopolitical influence of the Black Sea region countries, primarily Turkey and Russia. The significant risks of the penetration of Mediterranean and distant invasive species into the Black and Azov seas during the construction of the Istanbul shipping channel are indicated.