The Black Sea Has Become the World's Deadliest Shipping Route

First, Ukrainian drones began attacking Russian vessels, ports, and oil terminals, disrupting Russia's sea lanes. Then, Russian shelling effectively forced ships out of Odesa's ports. Additionally, Russia started attacking vessels with drones near the coasts of NATO countries — Romania and Bulgaria.

According to Ambrey, a maritime security company, more than 300 attacks have occurred in the Black Sea this year. As a result, over 30 sailors have died, and more than 20 are still missing. This data is provided by the Turkish Shipowners' Association, MarineTraffic service, and local authorities.

For comparison: since the start of the military conflict between the US and Iran in late February, there have been about 130 attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the broader Middle East. According to the UN's International Maritime Organization, 25 sailors died as a result.

In autumn, the northern and central parts of the Black Sea virtually turned into a maritime desert. Russian vessels no longer enter this area. Ships heading to Ukraine — only to the Danube near the Romanian border — as well as to and from Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia, try to stay closer to the shores to reduce the risk of Russian attacks.

In October 2026, drones attacked eight merchant ships in the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria or their contiguous zones. Two more vessels were damaged near Bulgaria's contiguous zone, in its exclusive economic zone. One vessel was attacked in the Danube port of Izmail after passing along the Bulgarian and Romanian coasts. In almost half of these cases, sailors were killed, injured, or went missing.

Russia denies its involvement in the attacks. However, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated in Brussels, and also to Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova, who was summoned after one of the incidents, that Bulgaria does not believe in the possibility of a Ukrainian attack on its own ships and crews. According to him, there would be no logic in such actions, and the circumstances of the attack point to Russia.

The armed escalation has led to a sharp reduction in commercial shipping in the Black Sea. According to Global Fishing Watch, in October, the number of vessels entering the Black Sea through the Bosphorus decreased by 41% compared to October 2025. The number of voyages in both directions for the same period decreased by 38%.

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