Enhancing Maritime Security in the Black Sea: Recent Attacks Prompt Urgent Measures

Following attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea, regional countries are evaluating steps to enhance maritime security.

While Ankara awaits a response to the draft agreement it sent to Russia and Ukraine, Bulgaria has urgently called Turkey and Romania for consultations to discuss measures.

The Turkish-owned grain ship Royad Mammadov sank on October 5 after a fire broke out off the coast of Sfântu Gheorghe in Romania's exclusive economic zone. The Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged vessel was carrying corn from Ukraine's Izmail Port on the Danube River to Italy's Ravenna Port. Romanian authorities reported that two crew members lost their lives, while 11 people, three of whom were injured, were rescued.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that the ship was struck by two Russian drones. Romania, however, has not officially confirmed the cause of the fire. In the daily bulletin published by the Russian Ministry of Defense on the same day, it was stated that two cargo ships were hit.

The following day, on October 6, two commercial vessels were attacked by sea and air drones approximately 70 nautical miles east of the Byala coast in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. This was recorded as the first attack on commercial vessels in Bulgaria's economic zone. The Togolese-flagged Alfa Watan sank; according to a Syrian official who spoke to AFP, there were 10 crew members on board, nine of whom were Syrian and one Egyptian, and Bulgaria concluded its search efforts without success.

The Palau-flagged Able, which was carrying wheat, caught fire after being hit. All 18 crew members, 11 of whom were Turkish and seven Indian, were rescued. According to the maritime database Equasis, both vessels are Turkish-owned.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev described the attack as a clear violation of international maritime law and stated that an investigation is ongoing to identify the perpetrator. Zelensky claimed that following contacts between the Ukrainian Navy and their Bulgarian counterparts, it was determined that the attack was carried out by Russia.

The risk extends beyond Ukrainian shores.

According to data from the Turkish Chamber of Shipping (İMEAK), since February 2022, 226 civilian and commercial ships have been affected by attacks in the Black Sea. Of these, 163, or approximately 70%, occurred in the first eight months of this year.

According to maritime risk analysis company Ambrey, the number of war-related objects in the Black Sea, such as unexploded ordnance, drones, and drifting unmanned surface vehicles, has more than doubled in six months. At least one-third of these objects carry explosive payloads and are particularly concentrated off the coasts of Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey. The company also reported that at least 45 commercial vessels have been attacked in areas previously considered low-risk over the past 12 months.

The recent attacks indicate that the risk is no longer limited to the vicinity of Russian and Ukrainian ports. The sinking of civilian vessels in the economic zones of two NATO and EU member countries has raised the alert level in regional capitals.

Ankara's proposal: Draft agreement and alternative route.

Turkey's diplomatic initiative gained momentum in August. On August 8, Fidan called for a moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea to Russia and Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that he did not find the proposal realistic; Moscow also rejected the possibility of returning to the Black Sea Grain Initiative of 2022-2023.

Ankara emphasizes that Turkish-owned vessels have been affected by attacks from both sides. Following the consecutive strikes on the Turkish-operated vessels Lider Bordo Mavi and Lider Kocatepe at the end of August, Ukraine's ambassador to Ankara was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In mid-September, Ankara took another step by sending a draft agreement text to both sides. According to a Turkish diplomat speaking to AFP, the draft is inspired by the grain agreement brokered by Turkey and the United Nations (UN) in 2022.

The proposal includes an alternative route extending along the eastern and southern coasts of the Black Sea. This route envisions the use of Turkish and, if accepted, Georgian territorial waters. On the route along the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts, which Ukraine is still using, some vessels are forced to pass through international waters; according to the Turkish diplomat, the risk is most concentrated in this section.

In an interview with NTV on September 19, Fidan stated that they received responses from both sides, but that reconciling the demands was difficult. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitriy Peskov also announced at the end of September that they had received Turkey's proposals, but substantial negotiations had not yet begun.

According to a report by Bloomberg, dated October 1 and based on diplomatic sources, Turkey and the United Nations planned new contacts involving Russia and Ukraine to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire in the Black Sea. The report indicated that the talks were expected to take place in early October and that the mediation would be undertaken by the Switzerland-based Center for Civil Humanitarian Dialogue.

At the end of September, a closed meeting held on the margins of the UN General Assembly included officials from Turkey, the US, European countries, Egypt, and India. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at the Valdai Forum on October 1 that he would not accept proposals to refrain from striking Ukrainian vessels in exchange for a halt to attacks on Russian refineries.

NATO member Turkey is one of the few allies that has maintained relations with both Moscow and Kyiv since the beginning of the war.

On the ground: Mine task group resumes operations.

The Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea), formed by Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria, was activated for the 12th time during the days when attacks on commercial vessels occurred. According to a statement from the Romanian Navy on October 7, the group, which will operate from October 6 to 20, includes a Romanian minehunter, two Bulgarian vessels, and Turkey's TCG Akçay. This activation is being conducted under Bulgarian command.

According to Bulgarian media, the operation under Bulgarian command is planned to continue until October 18. The group's mandate, established by an agreement signed in January 2024, was expanded in July this year to include the monitoring and protection of critical underwater infrastructure.

The task group elements are also participating in the NUSRET-2026 Invitation Exercise held in the Gulf of Izmir and off the coast of Karadeniz Ereğli from October 6 to 16, hosted by Turkey. According to the Ministry of National Defense (MSB), the exercise involves 20 ships, five aircraft, and unmanned systems, along with NATO's Permanent Mine Countermeasures Task Group-2.

Turkey had previously taken additional measures to enhance maritime security in the Black Sea. In a statement made in March, the Ministry of National Defense reported that two frigates, as well as naval and air elements, were operating in the Black Sea. The ministry stated that since the beginning of the war, 275 suspicious objects had been detected in the region, of which 29 had been neutralized.

The mandate of the tripartite task group established for mine clearance has also been expanded to include the protection of critical underwater infrastructure. However, how the group will address threats posed by unmanned aerial and surface vehicles remains one of the significant topics in discussions about maritime security in the region.

Bulgaria calls for tripartite consultations and a 'common security area.'

Bulgarian President Iliyana Yotova announced on October 7, following an extraordinary meeting of the National Security Advisory Council, that urgent consultations would be initiated with Turkey and Romania. Yotova also proposed a diplomatic initiative that would encompass all six countries bordering the Black Sea and foresee a moratorium on conflicts.

Sofia is seeking to increase the contributions of allies to the region under NATO's Eastern Sentry activities. Yotova argued that these steps do not violate the Montreux Convention.

Among the proposals expected to be brought by Bulgaria to the EU summit on October 15-16 are the use of the EU's satellite monitoring capacity, a compensation mechanism for losses arising from attacks, and the establishment of a maritime mission led by the EU, modeled after the Aspides operation in the Red Sea. Sofia is also calling for the immediate establishment of a Black Sea Maritime Security Center based in Constanța and Varna.

Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu asserted that the Black Sea has become the most dangerous region in the world for commercial vessels. Țoiu stated that they would work together with Bulgaria and Turkey to protect critical maritime infrastructure within the framework of the agreement signed at the NATO summit in Ankara. According to İhlas News Agency, no official statement has been made from Ankara regarding Bulgaria's invitation.

EU satellite support.

The European Commission described the attacks in the Black Sea as unacceptable and called on Russia to cease actions that endanger international maritime transport and the lives of seafarers.

Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand stated on October 7 that satellite imagery had been provided to Romania and Bulgaria to enhance situational awareness in the region at the request of the two countries. The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) also offered support to the two countries in monitoring maritime safety and the situation in the region.

As part of the Black Sea strategy announced by the EU in May 2025, a total of 65 projects worth approximately 200 million euros have been initiated in the region. The recent attacks have raised questions about how effective these initiatives can be against new threats such as unmanned aerial vehicles.

Criticism in Turkey: 'Statements are not enough.'

The attacks have also sparked debate in Turkey. Retired Rear Admiral Yankı Bağcıoğlu expressed his reaction to the targeting of commercial vessels in the Black Sea and the loss of seafarers' lives in a statement on X. Bağcıoğlu criticized the failure to ensure the freedom of navigation for commercial vessels, the lack of research activities in maritime areas where Turkey has exclusive rights in the Mediterranean for six years, and the lack of satisfactory explanations for the families of seafarers who lost their lives in maritime accidents.

Retired Rear Admiral Cem Gürdeniz, one of the architects of the Blue Homeland doctrine, stated that the war has completely spread from the coasts of Ukraine and Russia to the exclusive economic zones of Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria, i.e., the Western Black Sea, saying, 'The threat to civil maritime transportation is increasingly getting out of control.'

Gürdeniz emphasized that Turkey should no longer be content with making statements only after events occur, calling for the announcement of areas that vessels should avoid and for the Turkish Navy, Coast Guard, and Ministry of Transport to issue a 'navigation safety directive' clearly reminding Turkish-flagged, Turkish-owned, and Turkish-operated vessels of the war risk in the Black Sea.

The gap between the parties continues.

The main obstacle to security efforts in the Black Sea is the sharp division between Russia and Ukraine regarding maritime targets. Moscow accuses Ukraine of 'terrorist acts' against civilian maritime transport, while Kyiv holds Russia responsible for attempting to close the Western Black Sea to navigation.

The implementation of Turkey's proposals depends on both sides reaching an agreement to keep civilian maritime transport outside the conflict. In the coming days, attention will be focused on the EU summit on October 15-16 and the consultations expected to take place between Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye