Riyaz ul Khaliq
20 July 2026•Update: 20 July 2026
At least two seafarers from the Philippines were killed, while one remained missing, after their ships were hit by drones in the Black Sea region, Filipino officials said Monday.
The two separate incidents occurred on July 6 and July 19, while the ships were operating in the northern Black Sea, said the Philippines Department of Migrant Workers.
The department said 12 others were injured, according to the daily Inquirer.
“Efforts remain ongoing for the recovery and repatriation of the deceased two and the missing crew members,” Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac told a news briefing on Monday.
Cacdac said nine ships carrying 139 Filipino seafarers were “damaged after they were attacked while transiting the northern part of Black Sea.”
The remaining 124 seafarers are “safe and unharmed,” he added.
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) said Sunday that two oil tankers, identified as the Liberia-flagged ASIA and the Marshall Islands-flagged NISSOS IOS, were attacked by drones near its terminal in Black Sea.
The CPC condemned the strike, calling it the fifth "act of direct aggression" against what it described as a civilian facility protected under international law.
Earlier, Ukraine's General Staff said its forces struck two tankers in the Black Sea, which it said were being used to transport Russian oil, petroleum products, and fuel.
