ED Shipping idles 19 ships after drone attacks leave 31 sailors missing or dead

ED Shipping has taken 19 of its 26 vessels out of service, according to chief financial officer Demre İşcen. The company stated it is losing millions of dollars every month due to the halt in operations. This decision follows a surge in drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, which Ambrey, a maritime risk firm, says has exceeded 500 incidents this year.

The most recent fatal incident occurred just after 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 13, involving the cargo ship HS Dignity. A sea drone struck the hull of the 123-metre vessel while it was traveling from Algeria to Romania to load grain. The captain ordered the crew to abandon ship as it began to sink. Chief officer Ashraf Mamdouh, 42, said the crew spotted a boat approaching in the darkness and initially believed it was a rescue team. They quickly realized the vessel was part of the attacking group, and the drone rammed the ship before the lifeboats could be fully launched.

Mamdouh urged his colleagues to swim away from the sinking vessel, but strong winds and currents separated the group. He waited in a drifting life raft for four hours until the ship Azov Concord arrived. He signaled with his phone flashlight to be rescued. Five crew members survived the incident. Eleven are listed as missing, including 18-year-old Hamza Suleiman, a Syrian national on his first voyage. Suleiman had hoped to work in the engine room but was assigned to the deck. His father, Basel, said his son called on Oct. 12 to say they were in Bulgaria. Mamdouh stated that he last saw Suleiman wearing a life jacket.

Maritime analysts estimate that nearly 50 commercial vessels have been attacked in the Black Sea this month. The strikes have brought much of the traffic in this key shipping corridor to a standstill. Many of the recent attacks occurred in the western Black Sea, including off the coasts of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania. On Friday, a search-and-rescue operation was underway after a Comoros-flagged ship was hit by drones just outside Romanian territorial waters. One of its 13 crew members, who included Ukrainian and Azerbaijani sailors, has been recovered, and three remain missing. Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for the attack.

Ambrey believes Russia was responsible for 40 of the 45 attacks recorded in October. Russia's Ministry of Defence acknowledged striking dozens of ships this month, stating that the vessels supported Ukraine's military. Ukraine acknowledged its role in the June 5 attack on ED Shipping's vessel Circon in the Sea of Azov, which killed two crew members. Ukraine said the targeted vessels carried stolen Ukrainian grain, military cargo, and fuel. İşcen disputes this characterization, stating the ship was heading to load Russian grain.

NATO has stepped up maritime security in response to the conflict, deploying more patrol boats and radar systems. The Philippine government has barred its citizens from boarding vessels in the northern Black Sea. Khaldoun Nabelsi, head of the Syrian Seafarers Association of the U.K., said he has counted at least 18 Syrian seafarers killed in the region. He noted that while sailors are not forced to take these jobs, economic pressures often compel them to work in the area. At least 31 seafarers have been killed or are missing across the region.

Ten crew members from the ship Alfa Watan, mostly Syrian nationals, have not been recovered after it was struck by drones on Oct. 6. Mamdouh and his surviving crewmates are currently waiting in Bulgaria for new documents to fly home. Mamdouh stated that he will not return to the Black Sea. The company's decision to idle most of its fleet reflects the growing financial risk associated with operating in the region as the war between Russia and Ukraine spreads further at sea.