The United Kingdom has expressed solidarity with Bulgaria, Romania, and Türkiye following recent attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea. Colonel Joby Rimmer, UK Senior Military Advisor, stated that two crew members died and eleven were rescued after the Turkish-owned cargo vessel Royad Mammadov sank on 5 October in Romania’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
On 6 October, two further merchant vessels, the Alfa Watan and the Able, were struck by drones in Bulgaria’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The Alfa Watan sank, and its crew remains missing. Eighteen sailors were rescued from the Able, with two seriously injured. The same day, a vessel carrying rapeseed oil was struck off Odesa, killing one crew member and injuring seven.
The UK noted that Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced on 5 October that its forces had struck two cargo vessels in the Black Sea. The UK stated that attacks failing to distinguish between military and civilian objectives, or causing excessive harm to civilians, may violate international humanitarian law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The UK also highlighted that Türkiye’s Chamber of Shipping has recorded 226 attacks on civilian and commercial vessels since the start of the war, with the majority occurring this year. These incidents increase risks to crews, raise insurance costs, and restrict food flow.