Black Sea Logistics: 31 Seafarers Lost as Drone Attacks Idled 19 ED Shipping Vessels

The commercial shipping corridor through the Black Sea has effectively stopped moving.

ED Shipping, a Turkish company, has grounded 19 of its 26 vessels. This decision follows a surge in drone attacks that maritime analysts say have targeted nearly 50 commercial ships this month.

Three main factors are driving the halt. First, the human cost has risen sharply. At least 31 seafarers have been killed or are missing in recent weeks. Second, the physical threat to cargo has intensified. Data from the risk firm Ambrey indicates more than 500 attacks occurred on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov this year. Third, the financial pressure is forcing operators to pause operations. ED Shipping’s chief financial officer, Demre İşcen, stated the firm is losing millions of dollars each month while its ships sit in port.

The most recent severe incident involved the cargo ship HS Dignity. At 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 13, a sea drone struck the vessel’s hull. The ship began to sink in heavy swells. Chief officer Ashraf Mamdouh, 42, ordered the 16 crew members to abandon ship. The group included Syrian and Egyptian nationals. As they moved to the deck in life jackets, an uncontrolled boat rammed the vessel. Mamdouh said the crew believed the boat was a rescue team until they saw no one at the controls. He noted they did not have time to launch all lifeboats. The ship was 123 metres long. Five crew members survived. Eleven remain missing, including 18-year-old Hamza Suleiman, a Syrian on his first voyage.

Suleiman’s father, Basel, said his son called on Oct. 12 to report they were in Bulgarian waters. The young man had feared for his safety after another ship, the Alfa Watan, was hit on Oct. 6. Ten crew members from that vessel have not been recovered. Basel said he tried to get his son off the ship in Turkey, but the crew stayed aboard. Mamdouh last saw Suleiman wearing a life jacket, a detail that keeps the family hopeful for his survival.

The attacks are concentrated in the western Black Sea, off the coasts of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania. On Oct. 17, a Comoros-flagged ship was hit by drones just outside Romanian territorial waters. A search operation for its 13 crew members is ongoing. One body has been recovered, and three people remain missing. Romanian President Nicușor Dan attributed the attack to Russia. The Russian Ministry of Defence has acknowledged striking dozens of ships this month, citing support for Ukraine’s military. Ambrey believes Russia was responsible for 40 of the 45 attacks recorded in October.

Ukraine claims the targeted vessels carried stolen grain, military cargo, or fuel. İşcen disputes this for ED Shipping’s vessel Circon, which was hit on June 5 in the Sea of Azov, killing two crew members. He said the Circon was heading to load Russian grain. NATO has responded by increasing maritime security with more patrol boats and radar. The Philippine government has barred its citizens from boarding vessels in the northern Black Sea. Khaldoun Nabelsi, head of the Syrian Seafarers Association of the U.K., counted at least 18 Syrian seafarers killed. He said workers often feel forced to take the jobs if they want employment. Mamdouh and his surviving crewmates are waiting in Bulgaria for new documents to fly home. He said he will not return to the Black Sea again.

The Dignity had sailed from Algeria and was bound for Romania to load grain. Survivors are currently processing in Bulgaria.