The Black Sea shipping crisis has entered a new phase of friction between commercial operators and NATO littoral states, as shipowners and captains contest the restrictive measures imposed by Romania and Bulgaria on vessel movements into their ports. The dispute reflects the deepening insecurity in a region that has become, according to maritime analysts, the world's most dangerous waterway for commercial shipping.
According to reports citing Lloyd's List, drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea have intensified sharply in recent weeks, with some strikes occurring in or near the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria—both NATO member states. The escalation has prompted Romanian and Bulgarian authorities to impose restrictions on vessel traffic, a move that has met strong opposition from shipowners and captains who argue the measures disrupt legitimate commercial operations without providing adequate security guarantees.
The human cost has been severe. At least 30 seafarers have been killed or are missing in the recent surge of attacks, according to maritime tracking services and the governments of Romania and Bulgaria. In the most recent high-profile incident, three drones struck the container ship Contship Jet as it approached a Romanian port, with a French surveillance aircraft filming a surface drone closing in on the vessel before it listed heavily and sank just 25 kilometers from the Bulgarian coast. Earlier attacks included the Turkish-owned Alfa Watan, struck by air and naval drones while heading to the Romanian port of Sulina, killing nine Syrian and one Egyptian crew member, and the HS Dignity, where 11 mostly Syrian crew died off the Bulgarian coast.
The Bulgarian Association of Maritime Captains has issued a statement calling on the government to take urgent and coordinated action to protect vessels calling at the ports of Varna and Burgas. Reports indicate that six vessels have refused to enter Bulgarian ports, while others are waiting in the southern Black Sea, reflecting a de facto boycott by some operators of the restricted port call regime. Romanian, Bulgarian, and Turkish seafarers have also reportedly declined to sail to high-risk areas of the Black Sea.
The security environment has deteriorated to the point where maritime intelligence firm Ambrey has warned that "Romanian and Bulgarian waters should no longer be treated as safe by default," noting that Russian forces are striking vessels linked to Ukrainian trade inside the exclusive economic zones of two NATO member states. The Joint War Committee, which assesses risk for the London insurance market, has expanded its "high-risk zone" designation to cover the entire Black Sea region, excluding the territorial waters of Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, and Georgia.
European response has been fragmented. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated the alliance has "already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank," while Bulgaria has requested NATO deploy combat aircraft and anti-drone systems. Romania has begun F-16 patrols along its coast, with one jet shooting down two Russian drones over Romanian territorial waters in late October. However, Bulgaria's government, which has relatively good relations with Moscow, has been reluctant to directly blame Russia for the attacks.
The port call dispute carries significant implications for regional supply chains. Ukraine's grain exports have already been disrupted, with September wheat exports at 1.09 million tons—half the 2.05 million tons exported a year earlier. The Danube River ports, which had absorbed redirected Ukrainian exports, have also been targeted, with attacks on vessels near the Sulina Canal that leads from the Black Sea into the Danube. For shipowners, the calculus involves weighing elevated war risk premiums—which have climbed from 0.1-0.2% of hull value to 1-1.5%—against the commercial necessity of serving Black Sea trade routes.
The contest between owners and Romanian/Bulgarian authorities underscores a fundamental tension: coastal states face pressure to protect NATO territory and civilian infrastructure, while commercial operators require predictable and reasonably safe access to ports to sustain trade. With attacks continuing and no comprehensive security framework in place, the Black Sea shipping conflict appears set to widen further, drawing in insurers, flag states, and international organizations alongside the vessel operators and littoral governments already engaged.