NATO is deploying additional military assets to the Black Sea amid the recent deadly escalation of Russian attacks on merchant shipping, as five more vessels were attacked on Tuesday.

Axar.az informs, citing the Guardian, Russia’s military said it ⁠struck ​three cargo vessels in Ukraine’s ⁠port of Reni and two ⁠other cargo vessels en ​route ‌to ‌Odesa.

Russia’s targeting of vessels taking grain and other agricultural cargoes from Ukraine’s ports – central to the country’s economy – have brought the conflict to NATO’s borders, with a new high-risk designation used by the London shipping insurance market now covering all of the Black Sea save for the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkiye.

With a sharply rising death toll among civilian seafarers that has made Black Sea routes the world’s most dangerous, NATO announced the ⁠defensive military alliance would add more surveillance assets in the region.

Nato’s spokesperson, Allison Hart, said on Tuesday: “Today, Nato ‌ambassadors met in ‌the North Atlantic Council to discuss security in the Black Sea. Nato has already ​strengthened our posture along the eastern flank, including with counter-drone ⁠capabilities. Nato will ​be sending ​additional assets ​to the region, ​including ‌support for surveillance, ​reconnaissance, ​and forensics.”

The deployment will include maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, drones and intelligence personnel. There is mounting anxiety about the increasing overspill from Russia’s war on Ukraine and the potential for further friction with NATO.