Black Sea Trade: 19 Ships Idled as Drone Strikes Rise

Cargo operators in the Black Sea are pulling their ships from active routes. ED Shipping, a company based in Turkey, has laid up 19 of its 26 vessels. Chief financial officer Demre İşcen stated that the pause is causing the company to lose millions of dollars each month. This decision follows a sharp increase in drone attacks on commercial traffic in the region.

The risk to sailors has grown over the past few weeks. On October 13, the cargo ship HS Dignity was struck by a sea drone while rolling in heavy swells. The crew, consisting of 16 Syrian and Egyptian nationals, abandoned the sinking vessel. Chief officer Ashraf Mamdouh said the crew believed an approaching boat was a rescue mission. It was another drone. "We didn't have time to finish launching the lifeboats," Mamdouh said. Five crew members survived. Eleven are missing.

Maritime analysts say nearly 50 commercial vessels have been attacked this month. At least 31 seafarers have been killed or are missing. Data from the risk firm Ambrey indicate more than 500 attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov this year. Ambrey attributes 40 of the 45 attacks recorded in October to Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defence has acknowledged striking dozens of ships, claiming they supported Ukraine's military.

Ukraine has said it targeted vessels carrying stolen Ukrainian grain, military cargo, and fuel. İşcen disputes this characterization for ED Shipping. He said the company's ship Circon, which was hit on June 5 in the Sea of Azov, was heading to load Russian grain. Two crew members died in that attack.

Government and industry responses are intensifying. The Philippine government has barred its citizens from boarding vessels in the northern Black Sea. NATO has deployed more patrol boats and radar to step up maritime security. Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for a recent strike on a Comoros-flagged ship off the Romanian coast. One body was recovered from that incident, and three crew members remain missing.

Survivors are returning home with new paperwork. Mamdouh and his remaining crewmates are waiting in Bulgaria for documents that will allow them to fly home. "I will not go back to the Black Sea again. Never," Mamdouh said.

Khaldoun Nabelsi, head of the Syrian Seafarers Association of the U.K., counted at least 18 Syrian seafarers killed this year. "Nobody is forced to take these jobs, but in other ways you are forced. If you want to work, you have to go," Nabelsi said.