On the morning of August 31, 2025, the Black Sea off the coast of Ukraine’s Odesa region became the scene of a dramatic maritime incident. The Belize-flagged cargo vessel NS PRIDE, a ship with a storied past and a hull that has weathered decades of change, was damaged by an explosion near the bustling port city of Chornomorsk. While the event sent ripples of concern through the maritime community, the crew’s survival and the ship’s resilience offered a measure of relief amid the uncertainty that continues to haunt the region’s waters.
According to reports from Dumska and corroborated by the Ukrainian Navy, the NS PRIDE struck an unidentified explosive device while navigating without cargo. Navy spokesperson Dmytro Pletenchuk confirmed to Suspilne and Dumska that, “A civilian vessel detonated an unidentified explosive device. As for the aftermath, there are no casualties among the crew. The vessel sustained minor damage and is currently being inspected. It will likely continue moving under its own power.”
Initial investigations suggested that the explosion may have been caused by an undetonated part of a Russian Shahed kamikaze drone, which had been shot down the previous day. Yet, with the Black Sea now littered with hazards from the ongoing conflict, some local sources have pointed to the possibility of a drifting naval mine as the culprit. The precise cause, for now, remains a matter of speculation, but the threat is all too real for those who must traverse these waters.
The NS PRIDE, built in 1988 and measuring 95 meters in length and 16 meters in width, has a deadweight of 3,376 tons. Over its lifetime, the vessel has changed its name at least 13 times, a testament to its long service and the shifting tides of ownership and purpose that define so many ships in the merchant fleet. At the time of the explosion, the ship was empty, which may have contributed to the lack of casualties and the relatively minor nature of the damage.
Despite the blast, the NS PRIDE remains afloat, and there are no signs of water ingress into the hull. The crew, shaken but unharmed, is overseeing an ongoing inspection to assess the full extent of the damage. The ship is expected to continue its journey under its own power—a small victory in a region where uncertainty has become the norm.
"We are doing everything necessary to ensure the highest possible level of safety for civilian navigation. However, despite these efforts, incidents like this can still occur," Pletenchuk told Suspilne, echoing the persistent anxiety that shadows every voyage in the Black Sea. He went on to emphasize that the danger in these waters remains due to the large number of explosive objects left by the Russian army since the onset of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. “If the anti-mine forces had not been working, there would have been much more such cases,” he noted, making clear the vital role of ongoing demining operations.
The incident comes against the backdrop of a broader and increasingly collaborative effort to make the Black Sea safer for all. Since January 11, 2024, joint mine-clearing forces from Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria have been working to neutralize mines and other explosive remnants drifting in the region as a result of the war. This multinational initiative, while not a NATO operation, marks the first major cooperative action among Black Sea countries since the escalation of conflict. The group’s mission is to create safer conditions for civilian shipping and to foster improved cooperation among the participating nations. The agreement remains open for the involvement of mine countermeasure forces from other NATO member countries outside the Black Sea region, underscoring the shared interest in maritime security.
Pletenchuk, speaking to UNN, highlighted the ongoing nature of these efforts: “Measures to maintain mine safety are constantly carried out by the Naval Forces and other relevant units. This work is inconspicuous, but it has always been ongoing, and for two years we have not had similar incidents.” He acknowledged, however, that absolute safety at sea is impossible to guarantee. “Despite all this work that we do, it is certainly difficult to guarantee 100% safety. If the Naval Forces did not constantly demine with the forces we already have, there would be tens of times more such cases.”
The risks are not limited to ships alone. In recent months, civilians have also fallen victim to explosive remnants in the Odesa region. In August 2025, two separate explosions on local beaches claimed the lives of three vacationers, while a similar tragedy unfolded in late July when an explosion on a Ukrainian vessel in the Danube estuary killed three employees of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. The hazards extend to the shore as well, with Ukrainian Navy units destroying an anti-ship sea mine washed ashore by controlled detonation, according to UNN.
The situation at sea is further complicated by ongoing military actions. On the night of August 31, Russian forces launched a massive drone attack on the Odesa region, damaging energy infrastructure and leaving at least one person injured, as reported by Suspilne and Ukrinform. Just days earlier, on August 28, the first recorded naval drone strike against a Ukrainian warship in the Danube Delta resulted in the death of one crew member and injuries to several others, according to Pletenchuk.
For the crews who sail the Black Sea, each day brings a new set of dangers. The legacy of past conflicts, including remnants from World War II, continues to haunt the waters, with dozens of explosive devices detected and neutralized this year alone. As Pletenchuk put it, “This year we have already detected and neutralized dozens of such objects, including those from the Second World War.”
Despite the persistent risks, the collaborative spirit among Black Sea nations and the tireless work of mine countermeasure teams offer hope for safer navigation. The story of the NS PRIDE—a vessel battered but unbowed—serves as a stark reminder of both the dangers and the resilience that define life along these contested shores.
The NS PRIDE’s ordeal may have ended without tragedy, but the sea’s hidden threats remain. For now, vigilance, cooperation, and a little luck keep civilian ships moving forward in the Black Sea’s unpredictable embrace.
