Greek shipowners demand a tough response from the EU to tanker attacks in the Black Sea

Greek Shipowners’ Union demanded from European Union immediate and decisive response to attacks on Greek tankers in Black Seaemphasizing that any threats to merchant ships cannot remain without consequences.

The President of the Union made a harsh statement Melina Travlu. According to her, attacks on merchant ships, primarily Greek and, accordingly, European, go beyond the bounds of logic, law and political consistency.

“The merchant ships operate completely legally, supporting the European Union’s import trade and supply chains. Attacks on them represent a direct undermining of the European position itself. Merchant shipping is not an area of ​​conflict. Sailors are civilians. The European Union has an obligation to act promptly, in a coordinated and decisive manner, to protect its shipping, its people and the strategic role it plays for the well-being of Europe.” – said Travlu.

As emphasized, the consequences attacks affected not only Greecebut also Kazakhstan. One of the tankers attacked in the area Novorossiyskwas chartered by an American company Chevron for transportation of Kazakh oil.

IN Chevron confirmed that they are aware of incidents with ships heading to the terminal Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). The company clarified that one of the tankers was indeed under its charter, while all crew members remain safe and the ship is heading to the port.

It is also emphasized that the attack did not affect the activities of the field operator Tengiz – companies “Tengizchevroil”in which Chevron owns 50%, ExxonMobil — 25%, KazMunayGas — 20% και LUKOIL — 5%.

Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan officially confirmed that on January 13, 2026, in the Black Sea, in the area of ​​the CPC marine terminal, incidents occurred with two vessels involved in the export of Kazakh oil.

❗️Russian sources say that a few minutes ago, drones attacked the tanker “Delta Harmony” IMO: 9408463 in the Black Sea near Novorossiysk.
There is a fire on the ship. pic.twitter.com/c8W1R3GY1R

— Special Kherson Cat??? (@bayraktar_1love) January 13, 2026

Tanker “Matilda” under the flag of Malta, chartered by a subsidiary “KazMunayGas”was attacked by a drone. An explosion was recorded on board without subsequent fire. There were no casualties and the vessel remained seaworthy.

Second tanker – “Delta Harmony” flying the flag of Liberia – was also attacked by a UAV while waiting to load. The resulting fire was quickly extinguished, the crew was not injured, and the cargo tanks were empty at the time of the incident.

The Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan reported that it is promptly coordinating actions with “KazMunayGas”the CPC administration and shipowners to ensure the security of logistics chains and uninterrupted export supplies.

Russian media claim that the tankers were attacked by Ukrainian drones. Ukraine did not provide official comments on this matter.

The Greek Ministry of Shipping recommended shipping companies strengthen security measures in the Black Sea and when entering Russian ports. “It is recommended that shipping security managers, captains and security officers of Greek ships carry out a new assessment of the threats to commercial vessels operating in the Black Sea and adjacent maritime areas.”

The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy of Greece, Vassilis Kikilias, at a Christmas cake cutting event at the Panhellenic Association of Merchant Marine Captains, mentioned the incident of an attack by unmanned aerial vehicles on two Greek tankers in the Black Sea. He said that protecting crews and human lives is a top priority for the state. “The first priority is – and I want to emphasize this – the safety of everyone. First of all, the safety of the crews, our fellow citizens,” Kikilias said.

Editorial comment

Official reaction Greek state the response to drone attacks on tankers in the Black Sea so far boils down to recommendations to “strengthen security measures” and conduct a “new threat assessment.” Formally, everything is correct. Politically – almost nothing.

When they are under attack Greek merchant shipstransporting strategic cargo for European Unionit is logical to expect not only instructions to the captains, but also diplomatic stepsharsh statements, and most importantly – pressure on allies and international structures.

In the meantime, Athens prefers a cautious line: not to name the culprits, not to aggravate relations, not to go beyond the boundaries of “technical safety.” This is understandable – the Black Sea today is a zone of direct military confrontation, and any harsh word automatically drags the country into a wider conflict.

However, such caution has a price. Greece is one of the largest maritime powers in the world. If attacks on its ships remain without political consequences, this sets a dangerous precedent: merchant shipping is effectively recognized as an acceptable target.

Recommendations to captains are necessary. But without a clear international response and without demonstrating that attacks follow consequences, crew safety will remain a matter of individual luck rather than national protection.

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