The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, has called on all parties involved in the Black Sea conflict to show restraint, warning that the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous for civilian shipping.

According to the IMO, Dominguez said the rising tensions should not lead to attacks on innocent seafarers, port workers or merchant vessels.

He stressed that commercial shipping should not be used as a tool or casualty in geopolitical disputes and warned that the ongoing situation also carries growing environmental risks.

Dominguez added that the IMO remains ready to support any talks that could help international shipping continue operating for the benefit of all.

The statement was issued after a bulk carrier was damaged and caught fire following a Russian attack in Ukraine’s Odesa region last Friday.

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The vessel was at the port of Chornomorsk at the time of the incident. Chornomorsk is one of the three major Black Sea ports in the Odesa region.

The attack followed earlier warnings from Russia, which had threatened to cut Ukraine off from the sea. These threats were reportedly made in response to Ukraine’s use of sea drones to target tankers heading to Russia to export oil without proper authorisation.

After the strike on the Odesa port, Ukraine said it had carried out an attack on a Russian missile-carrying submarine. According to Ukrainian authorities, the submarine was docked at a Black Sea naval base and was disabled using underwater sea drones.

Reference: IMO