Black Sea Trade Grinds to Halt

Cargo operators have suspended most Black Sea routes after a wave of drone attacks left 31 sailors dead or missing. The disruption affects a key corridor for global trade, with traffic dropping to a near standstill. Maritime analysts report that nearly 50 commercial vessels have been struck this month. NATO has responded by deploying additional patrol boats and radar systems to monitor the waters.

The violence escalated on Oct. 13 when the cargo ship HS Dignity was hit by a sea drone. The 123-metre vessel began to sink in heavy swells. The 16 crew members, all Syrian and Egyptian nationals, abandoned ship just after 1:30 a.m. Chief officer Ashraf Mamdouh, 42, said a fast-moving boat approached the group in the dark. The crew believed it was a rescue vessel until they noticed no one was steering it.

Mamdouh stated that the boat was part of the attack force. It rammed the Dignity before the crew could launch all lifeboats. Strong winds and currents scattered the survivors. Mamdouh waited in a drifting life raft for four hours until the vessel Azov Concord arrived. Five crew members survived the sinking. Eleven others are missing, including 18-year-old Hamza Suleiman, who was on his first voyage.

Suleiman’s father, Basel, said his son called him on Oct. 12 to confirm their location in Bulgaria. The young sailor had grown fearful after the Alfa Watan was struck on Oct. 6. Ten crew members from that ship, mostly Syrian, remain unaccounted for. Mamdouh told Suleiman’s father he last saw the boy wearing a life jacket. Basel is now waiting for news from the search teams.

Data from the risk firm Ambrey indicates more than 500 attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov this year. The firm attributes 40 of the 45 attacks recorded in October to Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed striking dozens of ships, claiming they supported Ukraine’s military. Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for a recent strike on a Comoros-flagged ship off the Romanian coast. One body from that vessel has been recovered, and three crew members remain missing.

Shipping companies are cutting back to limit losses. Demre İşcen, chief financial officer of ED Shipping, said the company has laid up 19 of its 26 vessels. He estimated the company loses millions of dollars each month. Its ship Circon was hit in June, killing two crew members. Ukraine said the targeted vessels carried stolen grain and military cargo, a claim İşcen disputes. Khaldoun Nabelsi, head of the Syrian Seafarers Association of the U.K., counted at least 18 Syrian seafarers killed. The Philippine government has barred its citizens from boarding vessels in the northern Black Sea.

Mamdouh and his four surviving crewmates are currently waiting in Bulgaria for new documents to travel home. Mamdouh said he will not return to the Black Sea. The remaining crew members are coordinating with their families while search operations continue in the western sector.