More than 40 merchant vessels were attacked in the Black Sea region in 2026.

Omissions

• The 45-vessel figure reported by the trade press is a rolling 12-month count (to 21 September 2026), not a calendar-year 2026 count; the calendar-2026 total is not published as such by any source found.
• The 45 figure refers to vessels struck outside the previously listed 'legacy' high-risk area, so the total number of merchant vessels attacked in the wider Black Sea region is higher.
• A Xinhua report of 5 August 2026 stated that more than 35 merchant ships were attacked in the Black Sea during July alone, which implies the cumulative 2026 figure may be well above 40; the claim is therefore a conservative lower bound rather than an exaggeration.
• No primary official source (IMO, national maritime authorities, or a published security-firm dataset) was found directly; the figures come from trade press reporting on a maritime security firm's data, so the underlying data has a single origin.
• Attacks escalated sharply in October 2026 (drones striking chemical tankers near Romania's coast, strikes on cargo vessels at Reni and en route to Odesa), i.e. in the weeks immediately before the session date.

Sources

• SecondaryTradeWinds"In the 12 months to 21 September, 45 merchant vessels were struck outside the previously listed 'legacy' area, compared with none in the preceding 12 months"; "This year has been the deadliest by far, with 40 fatalities." Published 24 September 2026.
• SecondarySeatrade Maritime News"In the 12 months to 21 September 2026, 45 merchant vessels were struck outside the previously listed area, against none in the preceding 12 [months]"
• SecondaryXinhua"More than 35 merchant ships were attacked in the Black Sea during July, during which 23 seafarers were killed, British shipping..."
• SecondaryReuters"Last week, seven sailors were reported missing after drones struck two chemical tankers near Romania's Black Sea coast, setting them ablaze"
• SecondaryThe Guardian"Russia's military said it struck three cargo vessels in Ukraine's port of Reni and two other cargo vessels en route to Odesa."