The Volgo-Balt 214 disaster, claiming  the seafarers' lives, has uncovered the shipping problems  of the  Black Sea, which is well-known among the  unions and seafarers as  a “sea of shame”. 

The river-sea Volgo-Balt 214, flying under flag of Panama, sank off Turkey  on January 7, 2019. The bulker was heading to Samsun from Azov, Russia. After wave striking, Volgo-Balt 214 broke  in two near  the  Turkish coast. There were 13 crews, but  only seven were saved. The search and rescue  operations keep going. 

Volgo-Balt 214  was built  in 1978. An infamous Turkey-based Orbital Ship Management became her  last operator. By the  way,  the Turkish companies often buy  the  old Soviet-time vessels  and operate  them  to the utmost  in the  Black Sea.