The Black Sea is becoming a dangerous zone for civilian shipping after Russian drones struck at least 12 merchant ships in recent weeks. At least 30 sailors have been killed or are missing in the attacks, CNN reported.
The strikes have mainly targeted ships linked to Ukrainian trade and grain exports. Some of the attacks were carried out near or within the exclusive economic zones of the two NATO member states, Bulgaria and Romania.
The latest ship sank off the Bulgarian coast
In the latest attack, three naval drones hit the container ship Contship Jet as the vessel was approaching a Romanian port. A French reconnaissance aircraft filmed a naval drone heading towards the vessel, while subsequent footage showed the ship listing and sinking.
At the time of the strike, Contship Jet was about 25 kilometers from the Bulgarian coast. According to Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov, the attack took place about 21 nautical miles from the coast.
The series of attacks began in early October. The ship Alfa Watan, which was traveling from Egypt to the Romanian port of Sulina, was hit by aerial and naval drones and sank. Nine Syrian sailors and one Egyptian sailor were killed.
Six days later, drones struck HS Dignity off the Bulgarian coast. Eleven crew members were killed or remained missing in the attack. According to Syrian seafarers’ rights activist Mohammad Hajouz, after the first strike the crew saw an unmanned vessel approach and hit the ship.
“They began calling out to one another and trying to regroup, but the sea was rough and the water extremely cold, which separated the crew members,” Hajouz said.The attacks also affected Romanian waters
Four more merchant ships were attacked on October 15. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu said the attacks had affected Romanian territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone and had claimed eight lives.
The two chemical tankers Wine Trader and Yara J caught fire after being hit near the Sulina Canal, which connects the Black Sea with the Danube. Six Beninese nationals and one Russian national were killed in the attack on Wine Trader.
Maritime intelligence company “Ambrey” said Russian forces had begun attacking ships linked to Ukrainian trade in the exclusive economic zones of two NATO member states. According to the company, Bulgarian and Romanian waters should no longer be considered safe by default.
Bulgaria and Romania strengthen their defenses
Romania has begun patrolling off its coast with F-16 fighter jets. In late October, Romanian aircraft shot down two jet-powered drones over the country’s territorial waters. Bucharest also said it would accelerate the development of surveillance systems and equipment for countering mines and drones.
Bulgaria has asked NATO for fighter aircraft and counter-drone systems. Sofia also expects to join a NATO initiative to defend against unmanned aerial vehicles.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance had already strengthened its positions on the eastern flank. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned that the increasingly frequent attacks were “turning the Black Sea into a danger zone for civilian shipping.”
Moscow has not acknowledged all the attacks. In some cases, Russia’s Defense Ministry has stated that the ships hit were carrying “military cargo or dual-use cargo” for the Ukrainian armed forces.
The attacks are also affecting Ukrainian exports. Ukraine exported 1.09 million tons of wheat in September, compared with 2.05 million tons a year earlier. After strikes on the ports near Odesa intensified, some cargoes were redirected to smaller Danube ports, but these routes are now also at risk.
Sources: edition.cnn.com, apnews.com