Shipping in the Black Sea has almost come to a standstill due to an increase in attacks on civilian vessels.
Sea-news.az reports that Damien Chevalier, Director of the Maritime Safety Division at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), said this in an interview with the UN News Service.
According to him, more than 100 strikes have been carried out against vessels in the Black Sea since June.
“Between 30 and 40 seafarers have been killed in various attacks. At present, there is no safe area for vessels to operate in the Black Sea,” the IMO official said, noting that vessel traffic has fallen to almost zero.
According to D. Chevalier, civilian vessels have been subjected to missile and unmanned aerial vehicle attacks.
“In such circumstances, crews face a direct threat, while shipping companies’ costs, including insurance and crew-related expenses, are increasing. At the beginning of the conflict, around 100 vessels were blocked in Ukrainian ports. The situation is different now: on average, not even a single vessel can be seen in the main ports of Russia and Ukraine. Previously, when Ukraine was using safe maritime corridors, there were around 20–30 vessels in the region at this time of year. Now, their number has fallen to almost zero,” D. Chevalier said.
The IMO representative stressed that the consequences of the crisis could be long-term.
“One of the main concerns for the IMO is the impact of the current situation on food security, as grain exports through the Black Sea have declined sharply. Since the causes of the conflict are beyond the IMO’s mandate, the organization cannot resolve them.
A ceasefire and an agreement between the parties are necessary to restore safe shipping. After that, the IMO can provide technical assistance to help restore maritime traffic in the region,” D. Chevalier emphasized.
