The Black Sea has become the deadliest sea route for commercial shipping in 2026. During the year, 570 merchant ships were attacked, and 40 confirmed deaths among sailors were reported. Data from the International Maritime Organization and the British maritime security company “Ambri“ were cited by the “Financial Times“.
For comparison, 24 sailors were confirmed dead in the Strait of Hormuz area. The number of attacks in the Black Sea is six times higher than in the Persian Gulf.
„In my opinion, sailing through the Black Sea and entering Ukrainian ports is almost suicide.“This is stated by Oleg Grigoriuk from the Trade Union of Maritime Transport Workers in Ukraine.
Ships were also attacked off Bulgaria and Romania
Some of the merchant ships came under attack in wider bombings of ports. Others, including off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania, were independent targets. In addition to fire attacks, actions against navigation systems were also recorded.
According to the analysis cited by the „Financial Times“, at the beginning of the year, Ukrainian attacks in the Black Sea were mainly directed against the supply of Russian diesel to Crimea. In the last quarter, the trend has changed, with 90% of seaborne attacks being linked to Russia.
Traffic through Odessa is collapsing
The escalation is already having a direct impact on port operations. Odessa handled fewer than 10 ships in September, down from around 400 in July. Seafarers are at greater risk, insurance is rising, and shipping traffic is declining.
Ukrainian grain exports have been hit hardest. Kiev is rerouting some of its cargo to ports on the Danube, but they have also been attacked and lack the capacity of seaports. As a result, exports have fallen by 75% compared to the pre-war period. Russia, for its part, is redirecting some of its exports to the Far East and the Sea of Azov.
The decline in export revenues also has consequences for producers. Lower profits limit the funds for subsequent sowing and create a risk for subsequent harvests, which may also affect prices on international markets.
The strikes are increasingly targeting areas with crews
Within the framework of the escalation, there has also been a change in the nature of the attacks. According to the assessment presented, the Ukrainian side is increasingly using strikes on the bridges and living quarters of ships, instead of targeting only the engine rooms.
Thus, the danger to civilian shipping is no longer measured solely by the number of damaged vessels. It directly affects crews, port operations and the export of key agricultural goods through the Black Sea.
Sources: euronews.bg