The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has issued a statement condemning the attacks in the Black Sea region amid the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, as vessels, port infrastructure, workers and seafarers have been targeted.
As highlighted in the ICS statement, it is wholly unacceptable that seafarers, civilians simply doing their jobs and keeping global trade moving, are being placed in harm’s way.Merchant ships and their crews must never be targeted. Seafarers have the right to work safely, free from violence and fear, the Chamber highlights.
We urge all parties to uphold these principles and to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of seafarers and the security of commercial shipping. …ICS stressed.
The statement follows similar remarks by Melina Travlou, President of the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS), who condemned the renewed targeting of commercial shipping and seafarers, warning that they are once again being unjustly drawn into military and hybrid attacks. She further highlighted that commercial shipping is not a “battlefield” and must not be weaponized as a means of pressure or treated as a legitimate target.
To remind, the escalation of the conflict in the Black Sea in December 2025 also prompted IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez to urge all parties to refrain from attacking innocent seafarers, port workers and merchant vessels.
In the last few weeks, Ukrainian forces have carried out sea-drone attacks on oil tankers linked to Russian exports in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s energy revenues. Russia, on the other hand, has intensified drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian ports along the Black Sea.
This renewed targeting of commercial shipping has heightened concerns over the safety of civilian crews operating in one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.
Source: Safety4sea
