At least 45 merchant vessels have been attacked over the past 12 months in areas of the Black Sea previously not listed as high-risk amid the Russia-Ukraine war, maritime risk expert Ambrey said on Wednesday.
No strikes were recorded in the areas in the preceding 12 months, Ambrey said, adding that the increase was driven by attacks further from the coasts of Russia and Ukraine, prompting insurers to update risk levels in the area.
Over 70 percent of the strikes so far this year occurred after July 1, the report said.
Strikes blamed on Ukraine on shipping linked to Russia took place predominantly off Turkey’s north coast and in open sea south of the Russian ports of Novorossiysk and Sochi, Ambrey wrote.
The Joint War Committee (JWC), a London-based shipping insurance body, last week added the Black Sea to a list of areas perceived as high risk due to "hull war, strikes, terrorism and related perils".
For shipping companies, designating the entire Black Sea as a high-risk area can mean higher operating costs, including increased insurance premiums and additional pay for crew to reflect the greater risks.
This new designation includes the exclusive economic zones of Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia, but not their territorial waters, which are closer to their shores.
"Adding these areas to that list reflects a war that has already expanded beyond Russian and Ukrainian waters," Tomas Alexa, senior analyst at Ambrey, said in a statement.
Strikes in areas off Ukraine and Russia -- previously the only areas of the Black Sea designated as high-risk zones by the JWC -- have also increased.
Ambrey recorded at least 156 merchant vessels attacked in Russian and Ukrainian waters between July 1 and September 21, compared with 12 in the same quarter last year.
There have also been 139 strikes on ports for the same period this year, against 21 last year.