News: India condemned the attack on the commercial vessel MV OMORFI in the Black Sea, which resulted in the death of an Indian crew member.

About

• The Black Sea is an inland marginal sea located between Southeastern Europe and Western Asia.
• Connected to the Mediterranean Sea through: Bosporus Strait, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles Strait, Connected to the Sea of Azov through the Kerch Strait.
• Bordering Countries: Turkey (South), Bulgaria (West), Romania (West), Ukraine (North), Russia (Northeast), Georgia (East)

Key Characteristics

• Meromictic Sea: Upper and lower water layers rarely mix.
• Receives freshwater from major rivers: Danube, Dnieper, Dniester
• Surface salinity is 17–18 ppt, about half the global ocean average.

Strategic Importance

• Governed by the 1936 Montreux Convention, which:
  • Gives Turkey control over the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits.
  • Regulates the passage of naval warships, especially those of non-Black Sea countries.