Merchant ships crossing the Black Sea are adding improvised barriers as attacks on commercial shipping and port infrastructure intensify. Drones struck cargo ships off Romania and Bulgaria on 5 and 6 October 2026, according to Ukrainian and Bulgarian officials. Two vessels sank, and crew members were killed or reported missing.
The danger goes beyond drone strikes. The US Maritime Administration has warned that electronic-warfare interference with missile and drone guidance systems raises the risk of commercial vessels being hit by mistake.
