Russia has banned all cargo and passenger ship traffic on the Vistula Bay and in the Straits of Baltisk. The decision has left the Polish seaport of Elbląg completely cut off, and forced Żegluga Gdańska to suspend its service to Baltisk and Kaliningrad. The Vistula Bay ban also applies to sailboats.

A similar incident occurred in 2004 when the Vistula Bay was closed for 21 days after Poland's accession to the European Union. Ship traffic in the area is regulated by an agreement signed between Poland's communist authorities and the former Soviet Union in 1946. A new agreement on traffic in Russia's territorial waters, drafted in 2004, has yet to be signed by either Poland or Russia.

The Russians say they will keep the blockade in place until the Polish and Russian governments sign a new agreement.

Żegluga Gdańska has had to cancel profitable cruises by ships with duty-free stores that travel to Baltisk and Kaliningrad.

In early May, the Polish consul in Kaliningrad, Jarosław Czubiński, officially met with the governor of the Kaliningrad district in order to present a clear position on the suspension of Polish ship traffic.

Previously, the Russians lifted the blockade of the Vistula Bay and the Strait of Baltisk after two to three weeks. Currently, ship operators fear they might lose the whole season as a result of the ban.