Black Sea Drone Attacks Leave 31 Sailors Dead or Missing
Commercial traffic in the region has stalled after nearly 50 vessels were targeted this month.
By Owen Turner ·
The Black Sea has become a high-risk zone for commercial shipping as drone attacks intensify.
At least 31 seafarers are dead or missing following strikes on nearly 50 vessels in October. The attacks have forced a near halt to trade in a key corridor that links Europe and Asia.
Maritime risk firm Ambrey recorded 45 attacks in October. The firm attributes 40 of these strikes to Russia. Russia's Ministry of Defence confirmed it hit dozens of ships this month. Moscow stated the vessels supported Ukraine's military efforts.
The HS Dignity, a 123-metre cargo ship, was hit by a sea drone on Oct. 13. The vessel was sailing from Algeria to Romania to load grain. Chief officer Ashraf Mamdouh, 42, said the crew was ordered to abandon ship just after 1:30 a.m. local time.
Mamdouh described a second drone hitting a rescue boat that approached the crew in the dark. The crew believed the boat was a rescue vessel until it rammed the sinking ship. Mamdouh said there was not enough time to launch all lifeboats.
Eleven crew members from the HS Dignity remain missing. Five survivors were rescued by the Azov Concord after hours in the water. Among the missing is Hamza Suleiman, an 18-year-old Syrian making his first voyage.
Suleiman's father, Basel, received a phone call from his son on Oct. 12. The sailor said they were in Bulgarian waters. Suleiman had grown fearful after the Alfa Watan was struck on Oct. 6. Ten crew members from that ship, mostly Syrian, have not been recovered.
Khaldoun Nabelsi, head of the Syrian Seafarers Association of the U.K., has counted at least 18 Syrian seafarers killed in recent attacks. He noted that economic pressure often forces workers to take these jobs despite the danger.
NATO has increased maritime security in the region. The alliance deployed more patrol boats and radar systems. Attacks have concentrated in the western Black Sea, including off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania.
On Oct. 23, a Comoros-flagged ship was hit by drones just outside Romanian waters. One crew member died and three are missing. Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for the strike.
Shipping companies are reducing their presence in the area. Turkey-based ED Shipping has laid up 19 of its 26 vessels. Chief financial officer Demre İşcen said the company loses millions of dollars every month. The company's ship Circon was hit in the Sea of Azov on June 5, killing two crew members.
The Philippine government has barred its citizens from boarding vessels in the northern Black Sea. Survivors of the HS Dignity are currently waiting in Bulgaria for new documents to return home. Mamdouh said he will not sail the Black Sea again.
Source: CBC News
