Nato is deploying additional military assets to the Black Sea amid the recent deadly escalation of Russian attacks on merchant shipping, as five more vessels were attacked on Tuesday. Russia’s military said it struck three cargo vessels in Ukraine’s port of Reni and two other cargo vessels en route to Odesa. Russia’s targeting of vessels taking grain and other agricultural cargoes from Ukraine’s ports – central to the country’s economy – have brought the conflict to Nato’s borders, with a new high-risk designation used by the London shipping insurance market now covering all of the Black Sea save for the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.
With a sharply rising death toll among civilian seafarers that has made Black Sea routes the world’s most dangerous, Nato announced the defensive military alliance would add more surveillance assets in the region. Nato’s spokesperson, Allison Hart, said: “Today, Nato ambassadors met in the North Atlantic Council to discuss security in the Black Sea. Nato has already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank, including with counter-drone capabilities.
Nato will be sending additional assets to the region, including support for surveillance, reconnaissance, and forensics.” The deployment will include maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, drones and intelligence personnel. There is mounting anxiety about the increasing overspill from Russia’s war on Ukraine and the potential for further friction with Nato. Concern has been growing after alleged Russian attacks that have increasingly edged into the territorial waters and exclusive economic zones of Bulgaria and Romania.
Romania deployed jets over the weekend to shoot down two suspected Russian drones over its territory. Romania’s defence minister, Radu Miruță, said the drones were probably latest generation Russian drones, flying at speeds similar to fighter jets. Romanian forces have downed six drones this year, compared with zero last year.
Last week, two chemical tankers were hit by drones near Romania’s Black Sea coast, the latest in a series of attacks that have highlighted the risks to commercial shipping on Nato’s eastern flank. Both vessels were anchored near the Sulina canal, which links the Danube River to the Black Sea and is an export route for Ukraine. At least five other cargo ships have been hit near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria in the past two weeks, with 23 sailors reported dead or missing.
Most of those incidents occurred outside Nato territorial waters. Amid mounting concern, Bulgaria has asked Nato for the deployment of combat aircraft and anti-drone systems to its territory. On 18 October, France sent a maritime reconnaissance aircraft to Romania.
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