The Black Sea has become the world’s deadliest shipping route for merchant sailors, according to data compiled by maritime security firm Ambrey and the International Maritime Organization.

More than 570 vessels have been struck in the region this year, killing at least 40 sailors. That total surpasses the 24 confirmed fatalities reported in and around the Strait of Hormuz during the same period.

Attacks escalated sharply over the summer. Between July and September, 387 ships were hit, more than five times the number from the prior quarter, with incidents averaging over four per day. Russia accounted for approximately 90 percent of strikes on shipping in the most recent 45-day period tracked by Ambrey.

A recent incident underscored the spreading risks. On October 23, the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv was struck by a drone roughly 13 nautical miles off Romania’s Constanta port. The vessel caught fire and capsized, killing one seafarer and leaving three others missing.

The violence has extended beyond Ukrainian and Russian waters into areas near NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. Shipowners report crews facing drone, missile, and explosive-laden boat attacks while transporting grain and Russian oil.

War-risk insurance premiums for some Black Sea voyages have climbed as high as 15 percent of a vessel’s hull value, roughly double the rates seen in the Persian Gulf. The Joint War Committee has expanded its high-risk area designation to cover nearly the entire Black Sea, excluding only the territorial waters of Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, and Georgia.

Port activity has declined sharply. Monthly calls at Ukraine’s major ports dropped from around 400 in July to fewer than 10 in September.

The corridor remains critical for global grain supplies and energy exports, yet shipowners and unions describe operations there as increasingly hazardous. The International Maritime Organization and security analysts continue to monitor the situation amid ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.