The deadliest waters in the world for sailors today are not off the coast of Iran, but in the Black Sea. A maritime security company has counted more than 300 attacks there this year linked to the Russo-Ukrainian war, strikes which killed more than 30 crew members and left more than 20 missing, the agency reports. Wall Street Journal. This figure far exceeds the strikes and casualties caused by assaults on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding region since the start of the US-Iran conflict in February.
What began with Russian strikes on Ukrainian grain exports – and Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian ships – has spread abroad, with recent deadly strikes near Romania and Bulgaria, both NATO members. European officials have linked these incidents, as well as incursions into nearby airspace, cyber operations and sabotage, to Moscow, which denies any involvement. Regardless, traffic through the Bosphorus has fallen by about 40%, undermining a crucial trade corridor that connects Europe with Asia and supplies food to parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Gn world
