Black Sea Becomes More Dangerous Than Persian Gulf, With Over 570 Ships Attacked Since January

Since the start of 2026, more than 570 ships have been attacked in the Black Sea, and at least 40 sailors have been killed, making the route more dangerous for commercial shipping than routes in the Persian Gulf.

The Financial Times reported this.

The intensity of the attacks increased significantly over the summer. Between July and September, 387 ships were attacked — more than five times the number in the previous quarter.

According to maritime security company Ambrey, Russia was responsible for about 90% of attacks on shipping over the past 45 days.

One of the latest incidents was an attack on the cargo vessel Khoryv off the Romanian coast on October 23. The vessel caught fire and sank following the strike. One sailor was killed, and three others went missing.

The increase in attacks is also affecting shipping companies’ operations. Over the previous month, fewer than 10 vessels passed through the ports of Greater Odesa, compared with about 400 in July.

Attacks on ships in the Black Sea were more than six times higher than in the Persian Gulf. In the Strait of Hormuz area, 24 sailors were confirmed killed over the same period.

Additional factors include threats to shipping and a sharp rise in insurance costs. According to insurers, war-risk insurance can reach 15% of a vessel’s hull value — almost twice the rate for ships in the Persian Gulf.

High costs and security risks are forcing some companies to abandon Black Sea voyages. Others are instead using older, cheaper-to-insure vessels. According to the FT, some are up to 50 years old and in poor technical condition.

Militarnyi previously reported that on October 6, Russian aerial and naval drones attacked two merchant vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, one of which sank.

On October 23, the civilian vessel KHORYV capsized off the Romanian coast following a drone attack.

In response to the new threats, NATO announced it would send additional patrol aircraft, radars, and drones to the Black Sea.