‘Now they are hitting to kill’: Seafarers pull back from Black Sea trades
- Experienced seafarers tell Lloyd’s List they are refusing Ukraine- and Russia-related voyages amid growing fears that drone attacks are increasingly targeting crew accommodation rather than vessels alone
- Operators are offering higher pay to attract crews into the region, but captains warn this could erode onboard competence as experienced officers opt out of what they increasingly regard as a war zone
- Crew report concerns over surveillance in Russian ports, disputed contractual pressure to continue high-risk voyages and difficulties pursuing compensation when casualties occur on uninsured vessels
Experienced seafarers are increasingly refusing voyages linked to Ukraine and Russia as drone attacks intensify across the Black Sea, raising fears that crews are being deliberately targeted and fuelling concerns over who will operate the ships that continue trading in the region
