Black Sea Drone Attacks Leave 31 Sailors Dead or Missing as Shipping Traffic Freezes
ED Shipping has idled 19 of its 26 vessels, reporting losses of millions of dollars monthly as the maritime corridor becomes a high-risk zone for commercial traffic.
By Sarah Montgomery ·
Commercial traffic in the Black Sea has slowed to a near halt after drone strikes on cargo ships killed or left missing at least 31 seafarers. The attacks, which have targeted nearly 50 vessels this month, have forced major operators to pull their ships out of the region. For crew members, the risk of dying at sea has become a daily reality as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine expands into shipping lanes.
The latest incident involved the HS Dignity, a 123-metre cargo ship carrying a crew of 16 Syrian and Egyptian nationals. Just after 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 13, a sea drone struck the hull, causing the vessel to sink. Chief officer Ashraf Mamdouh, 42, said the crew was ordered to abandon ship in heavy swells. As they launched lifeboats, an uncontrolled boat approached and rammed the sinking vessel. Mamdouh noted, "We didn't have time to finish launching the lifeboats." Five crew members survived; 11 are listed as missing.
Maritime data firm Ambrey recorded more than 500 attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov this year. The firm believes Russia was responsible for 40 of the 45 attacks recorded in October. Russia's Ministry of Defence acknowledged striking dozens of ships this month, stating they supported Ukraine's military. Many strikes occurred in the western Black Sea, off the coasts of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania. On Friday, a search and rescue operation began after a Comoros-flagged ship was hit just outside Romanian waters, leaving one body recovered and three people missing.
Shipping companies are scaling back operations to manage financial risk. Demre İşcen, chief financial officer of Turkey-based ED Shipping, said the company has laid up 19 of its 26 vessels. İşcen stated the company is losing millions of dollars each month. The firm's ship Circon was hit in the Sea of Azov on June 5, killing two crew members. Ukraine claimed the targeted vessels carried stolen grain and military cargo, a claim İşcen disputes, noting the ship was heading to load Russian grain.
The human cost is concentrated among certain nationalities. Khaldoun Nabelsi, head of the Syrian Seafarers Association of the U.K., counted at least 18 Syrian seafarers killed. He said, "Nobody is forced to take these jobs, but in other ways you are forced. If you want to work, you have to go." The Philippine government has barred its citizens from boarding vessels in the northern Black Sea. Hamza Suleiman, an 18-year-old Syrian on his first voyage, is among the missing from the HS Dignity. His father, Basel, said he tried to get his son off the ship in Turkey, but Suleiman stayed aboard. Mamdouh, who is waiting in Bulgaria for new documents to fly home, said he last saw Suleiman wearing a life jacket. Mamdouh added, "I will not go back to the Black Sea again. Never."
