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Philippines confirms death of third seafarer in Black Sea attacks
236 Filipino seafarers aboard 17 vessels have been affected by the fighting in the northern Black Sea, amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine
- PUBLISHED: Sun 2 Aug 2026, 1:13 PM
The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) confirmed on Saturday, August 1, that a third Filipino seafarer has died following attacks in the Black Sea amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac announced the latest death during a news forum in Philippines' Quezon City. He said that 236 Filipino seafarers aboard 17 vessels have been affected by the fighting in the northern Black Sea.
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The number includes three fatalities, 15 injured seafarers, and one missing crew member. The remaining 217 Filipinos have been confirmed safe. "I am reporting that there is one more who died. So three of our countrymen have already died in the northern Black Sea attacks," Hans Leo Cacdac said in Tagalog.
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GMA News quoted Cacdac as saying that he had visited the families of the Filipino seafarers who died to offer the government’s condolences and provide assistance.
So far, 89 of the affected seafarers have been brought back to the Philippines, Cacdac noted. Nine of the 15 injured workers have also been repatriated.
The other affected Filipino seafarers remain in different locations, including Ukraine, Romania, Greece, and Turkey, while efforts continue to assist and bring them home safely.
The latest death came less than two weeks after the DMW reported that two Filipino seafarers were killed and 12 others were injured in drone attacks in the Black Sea near southern Ukraine.
Cacdac assured the public that the government’s efforts to assist and repatriate affected Filipino seafarers are ongoing.
"We have issued an advisory to manning agencies and ship owners. There are three items in that advisory. One, for the seafarers, all seafarers in attacked ships, to be repatriated," Cacdac said.
The DMW has also directed ship owners and manning agencies to move Filipino crew members in the northern Black Sea to safer areas. The agency advised against sending Filipino seafarers to the area while the fighting continues.
"We have received security assessments from both the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) and the DND (Department of National Defense), and both the DFA and the DND and both have asserted, established a full scale international armed conflict in the area," Cacdac said.
Following the reported casualties, the DMW said it would continue enforcing its high-risk advisory for the Black Sea, which has been in place for about a year.
