Black Sea Attacks Halt Shipping as NATO Expands Patrols After 31 Crew Lost
Drone strikes have struck nearly 50 commercial vessels this month, forcing a Comoros-flagged ship to lose crew off Romania and prompting the Philippines to bar citizens from northern Black Sea voyages.
By Samir Lin ·
Drone attacks in the Black Sea have killed or left missing at least 31 seafarers this month and driven much of the shipping corridor to a standstill, prompting NATO to deploy more patrol boats and radar to the region. Nearly 50 commercial vessels have been targeted since Oct. 1.
The HS Dignity was struck just after 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 13 as the 123-metre vessel rolled in heavy swells. Chief officer Ashraf Mamdouh, 42, and 15 other Syrian and Egyptian crew members were ordered to abandon ship. The crew spotted a boat approaching in the dark and assumed it was a rescue vessel, then saw no one at the controls. "We realized that this boat was also part of the group that was attacking us. Of course, we all ran," Mamdouh said. The drone rammed the Dignity before lifeboats could be launched.
Mamdouh swam clear as winds drowned out shouting and currents separated the group. A life raft drifted to him, and he lay in it for four hours before the Azov Concord answered his phone flashlight signal. Five crew members survived; 11 remain missing, including 18-year-old Syrian deckhand Hamza Suleiman on his first voyage.
Attacks have concentrated in the western Black Sea near NATO members Bulgaria and Romania. A Comoros-flagged ship was hit by drones on Friday just outside Romanian territorial waters. Of its 13 crew members, one body was recovered and three remain missing. Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia.
Data from maritime risk firm Ambrey records more than 500 attacks on commercial vessels this year in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. Ambrey attributes 40 of 45 October attacks to Russia. Russia's Ministry of Defence has acknowledged striking dozens of ships this month, saying they carried military support for Ukraine.
Turkey-based ED Shipping has laid up 19 of its 26 vessels, and chief financial officer Demre İşcen said the company loses millions of dollars monthly. The Philippine government has barred its citizens from vessels in the northern Black Sea. Syrian Seafarers Association of the U.K. head Khaldoun Nabelsi has counted at least 18 Syrian seafarers killed.
Mamdouh and surviving crewmates are waiting in Bulgaria for new travel documents. "I will not go back to the Black Sea again. Never," he said.
Source: CBC News
