ED Shipping Idles 19 Vessels as Black Sea Drone Strikes Reach 500

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has moved from land to water, forcing commercial shipping companies to pull back from one of the world's most important trade routes. The latest wave of drone attacks has left the Black Sea nearly empty of cargo vessels, with dozens of ships struck in the past month alone.

Maritime risk firm Ambrey reports that more than 500 commercial vessels have been attacked this year in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The firm attributes 40 of the 45 incidents recorded in October to Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defence has confirmed striking dozens of ships this month, claiming the targets supported Ukraine's military operations. At least 31 seafarers have been killed or are missing in the recent attacks.

The human cost is concentrated among crews from countries such as Syria and the Philippines. On the cargo ship HS Dignity, 11 of 16 crew members are missing after the vessel was hit and sank in the western Black Sea. Chief officer Ashraf Mamdouh, 42, was among the five survivors. He described seeing an uncontrolled boat speed toward the crew in the dark before it rammed the hull, preventing them from finishing the launch of lifeboats.

Hamza Suleiman, an 18-year-old Syrian on his first voyage, is one of the missing sailors from the Dignity. His father, Basel Suleiman, said his son called on the night of October 12 to say they were in Bulgarian waters. Basel noted his son had grown fearful after another ship, the Alfa Watan, was struck on October 6, leaving ten crew members unaccounted for. Mamdouh said he last saw Suleiman wearing a life jacket, a detail that keeps the father hopeful.

Shipping companies are responding by scaling back operations. Turkey-based ED Shipping has laid up 19 of its 26 vessels, according to chief financial officer Demre İşcen. She stated the company is losing millions of dollars each month due to the withdrawals. One of its ships, the Circon, was hit in the Sea of Azov on June 5, killing two crew members. Ukraine acknowledged that attack, stating the vessel carried stolen Ukrainian grain, military cargo, and fuel. İşcen disputes this account, saying the ship was heading to load Russian grain.

The attacks have prompted NATO to step up maritime security in the region. The alliance has deployed additional patrol boats and radar systems. Many recent strikes occurred off the coasts of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania. On Friday, a search-and-rescue operation was underway after a Comoros-flagged ship was hit by drones outside Romanian territorial waters. One body has been recovered, and three crew members remain missing. Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for the incident.

Khaldoun Nabelsi, head of the Syrian Seafarers Association of the U.K., said he has counted at least 18 Syrian seafarers killed in recent weeks. The Philippine government has barred its citizens from boarding vessels in the northern Black Sea. Mamdouh and his surviving crewmates are waiting in Bulgaria for new documents to fly home. "I will not go back to the Black Sea again. Never," he said.