A series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea over the past week has highlighted growing risks to civilian shipping in the region, as Turkish experts called for a broader maritime security framework.
Bulgarian authorities confirmed that one vessel sank on Tuesday 17 nautical miles east of Krapets. A second ship, the Malta-flagged and Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3, was struck by three drones 18 nautical miles east of Byala. Its 15-member crew was safely evacuated to the Port of Varna, with five receiving medical assistance.
The incidents followed similar attacks last week, when three Turkish-linked commercial vessels were struck off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, resulting in fatalities.
Experts said the Russia-Ukraine conflict has increasingly threatened commercial shipping in the Black Sea, with attacks on ports and vessels raising security concerns.
A total of 146 commercial vessels were confirmed struck in the Black Sea region between 2022 and 2026, including 82 in 2026 alone, according to data from the Turkish Shipowners’ Association.
The human toll has also grown, with 28 of the 37 reported maritime fatalities recorded in 2026 alone, the association said.
The changing nature of the conflict is reshaping the Black Sea into a “multilayered security environment,” said Murat Ersavci, a retired ambassador and director of the International Studies Center at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Türkiye.
He said in a recent assessment for the foundation that the boundary between trade and security was becoming increasingly blurred, adding that a ship’s destination, flag, and links to particular companies and sanctions regimes are also becoming part of the security equation.
Ersavci called for a comprehensive maritime security arrangement to ensure safe, predictable commercial navigation, distinguish civilian vessels from military targets, and coordinate efforts among littoral states to protect energy and food shipments.
Canan Tercan, a foreign policy expert at Istanbul Aydin University, warned that the Black Sea risked mirroring the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, where prolonged disruptions have jolted global markets and driven up insurance costs.
Meanwhile, Tercan warned that bringing outside warships into the basin could trigger a wider conflict. “Navigational safety must be secured through an international non-combat agreement, not through naval forces.” ■