500 drone strikes force 19 vessels out of Black Sea as 31 sailors vanish

Commercial traffic in the Black Sea has nearly stopped as drone attacks on cargo ships have surged this month. The disruption has forced major carriers to pull their fleets from the corridor and left dozens of crews stranded or missing.

Data from the maritime risk firm Ambrey indicates that more than 500 attacks have targeted commercial vessels in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov this year. The firm attributes 40 of the 45 recorded attacks in October to Russia. At least 31 seafarers have been killed or are missing following these strikes, which have concentrated in the western part of the sea.

The attacks have prompted Turkey-based ED Shipping to lay up 19 of its 26 vessels. Demre İşcen, the company’s chief financial officer, stated that the suspension of operations costs the firm millions of dollars every month. ED Shipping is not alone in this retreat, as many operators are scaling back their presence in the region to protect their crews and assets.

The human cost was starkly visible on the cargo ship HS Dignity. Just after 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 13, a sea drone struck the hull of the vessel, which was rolling in heavy swells. The crew of 16, comprising Syrian and Egyptian nationals, abandoned the sinking ship. Chief officer Ashraf Mamdouh described seeing an uncontrolled boat speed toward them in the dark, which they initially mistook for a rescue effort.

Mamdouh said the boat was part of the attacking group and rammed the ship before the lifeboats could be fully launched. He urged the crew to swim clear of the 123-meter vessel, but strong winds and currents scattered the group. Mamdouh survived by lying in a drifting life raft for four hours until the vessel Azov Concord found him. He is one of five survivors from the Dignity, while 11 crew members remain missing.

Among the missing is Hamza Suleiman, an 18-year-old Syrian on his first voyage. His father, Basel, said Hamza had called on Oct. 12 to say the ship was near Bulgaria. Basel attempted to arrange for his son to leave the vessel in Turkey, but the young sailor stayed aboard. Mamdouh told the father that he last saw Suleiman wearing a life jacket, a detail that offers the family some hope despite the missing status.

The Syrian Seafarers Association of the U.K. has counted at least 18 Syrian seafarers killed in recent attacks. Khaldoun Nabelsi, the association’s head, noted that while workers are not forced into these roles, economic pressure makes the jobs necessary. The Philippine government has responded to the crisis by barring its citizens from boarding vessels in the northern Black Sea.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for a recent drone strike on a Comoros-flagged ship just outside Romanian territorial waters. A search operation is underway for three missing crew members from that vessel, while one body has been recovered. NATO has stepped up maritime security in response to the spread of the Russia-Ukraine war at sea, deploying additional patrol boats and radar systems.

Mamdouh and his surviving crewmates are currently waiting in Bulgaria for new documents to return home. He stated that he will not return to the Black Sea. Ukraine has acknowledged striking vessels it claims carried stolen grain, military cargo, or fuel, a claim ED Shipping disputes regarding its own ships.