The Black Sea has become the world’s deadliest sea for commercial shipping, the Telegram channel “The Moscow Times” reported on October 25, citing the Financial Times, data from maritime security company Ambrey and the International Maritime Organization.
“The situation deteriorated sharply in the summer. From July to September, 387 vessels came under attack — more than five times as many as in the previous quarter. Some of them were damaged during shelling of ports. In the third quarter, the Black Sea saw an average of more than four attacks on vessels per day. According to Ambrey’s estimates, russia carried out around 90% of these attacks over the past 45 days”, - the report states.
It is noted that the Black Sea region, which is important for grain and oil supplies, has become more dangerous than the Persian Gulf: the number of attacks on vessels there is more than six times higher. In the Strait of Hormuz area, 24 sailors were killed over the same period.
“One of the latest vessels to be affected by an attack in the Black Sea was the bulk carrier Khoryv, whose crew consisted of Ukrainians and Azerbaijanis. On October 23, a fire broke out aboard the vessel near the Romanian coast, after which it sank. One sailor was killed, and three others are listed as missing. The Romanian president stated that russia had struck the bulk carrier with a drone”, - the report says.