Drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea move ever closer to Nato shores
Six ships were hit in the Black Sea in the first ten days of October, near Bulgaria and Romania, and sailors have died. Experts link the attacks to Russian efforts to curb Ukrainian grain exports.
Drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea have reached waters next to the Nato members Bulgaria and Romania. Six ships were hit in October, a marked escalation in the maritime side of the war in Ukraine, as strikes have moved into the European Union's exclusive economic zone and Romania's territorial waters.
How the attacks unfolded
It began in the early hours of 6 October, about 70 miles off the Bulgarian coastal town of Byala. The Turkish-owned cargo ship Alfa Watan, bound for the Romanian port of Sulina, was struck by suspected Russian air and naval drones. It sank, and its crew of ten was not found. Six days later a drone strike hit HS Dignity off Bulgaria, killing eleven crew members. On Thursday the attacks reached Romanian airspace and territorial waters: the chemical tankers Wine Trader and Yara J were left burning, and seven more sailors were reported missing. The vessels Able and Chelsea-3 were also hit.
Why it is happening
Tomas Alexa, a senior analyst at the maritime insurer and risk consultancy Ambrey, says the pace of attacks has risen sharply since July, with Russian forces thought to be behind about 80% of them. He says the aim is to degrade Ukraine's exports of grain and agricultural products. Experts also see the strikes as Russia's response to Ukraine widening its attacks on Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers.
Insurance rates have soared and the number of ships visiting Ukraine has fallen steeply. More than 60 seafarers have died in the Black Sea since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, most of them in the past year.
Reaction
Bulgarian prime minister Rumen Radev called the attacks "absolutely unacceptable". He said there is no conclusive evidence of who is responsible, but that the logic suggests the outcome benefits Russia. Nato secretary general Mark Rutte met Radev and Romanian president Nicușor Dan on Thursday. There is speculation that affected members could invoke article 4 of the Nato treaty, which provides for formal crisis consultations.
