45 Black Sea Drone Attacks Kill 31 Sailors as Grain Trade Collapses

Forty-five drone strikes on commercial vessels have been recorded in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov this month, a campaign that has left at least 31 seafarers dead or missing. The violence has effectively frozen traffic in the corridor, which serves as a primary route for grain exports. Most incidents have occurred in the western sector of the sea, near the coasts of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania.

The maritime risk firm Ambrey attributes 40 of the October attacks to Russia. Moscow’s Ministry of Defence confirmed striking dozens of ships this month, stating the targets supported Ukraine’s military. Ukraine acknowledged some attacks, claiming the vessels carried stolen grain, military cargo, and fuel. The conflict has spread further at sea, prompting NATO to deploy additional patrol boats and radar systems to monitor the area.

The HS Dignity, a 123-metre cargo ship, was hit by a sea drone just after 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 13. The vessel had departed Algeria and was en route to Romania to load grain. Chief officer Ashraf Mamdouh said the crew saw a boat approaching in the dark, believing it was a rescue party. They realized it was part of the attacking group only as it rammed the ship. "We didn't have time to finish launching the lifeboats," Mamdouh said. Five of the 16 crew members survived. Eleven are missing, including 18-year-old Syrian sailor Hamza Suleiman, who was on his first voyage.

Suleiman's father, Basel, said he spoke to his son on the night of Oct. 12. "Dad, we're in Bulgaria now," the young man told him. Mamdouh said he last saw Suleiman wearing a life jacket before the currents pulled the group apart. Mamdouh spent four hours in a life raft before the vessel Azov Concord located him. He and the other survivors are currently in Bulgaria waiting for new documents to return home. "I will not go back to the Black Sea again. Never," Mamdouh said.

Other attacks have claimed lives recently. On Friday, drones struck a Comoros-flagged ship outside Romanian waters. One of its 13 crew members has been recovered, and three remain missing. Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for the incident. Earlier in the month, the Alfa Watan was hit on Oct. 6, and ten of its crew members, mostly Syrian, have not been recovered.

Shipping companies are reacting to the heightened risk. Turkey-based ED Shipping has laid up 19 of its 26 vessels. Chief Financial Officer Demre İşcen said the company is losing millions of dollars each month. The ship Circon was hit in the Sea of Azov on June 5, killing two crew members. İşcen disputed Ukraine's claim that the ship carried Ukrainian grain, stating it was heading to load Russian grain.

The Syrian Seafarers Association of the U.K. has counted at least 18 Syrian seafarers killed this year. Khaldoun Nabelsi, the association's head, said economic pressure forces many into dangerous routes. "Nobody is forced to take these jobs, but in other ways you are forced. If you want to work, you have to go," he said. The Philippine government has barred its citizens from boarding vessels in the northern Black Sea.

Maritime analysts say nearly 50 commercial vessels have been attacked this month. The strikes have brought much of the traffic in this key shipping corridor to a standstill. Ambrey data show more than 500 attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov this year.