A drone strike sank the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv off Romania’s Black Sea coast on Friday, October 23, killing one sailor and leaving three missing, while Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for the attack.
The vessel caught fire and capsized. It then sent a distress call about 13 nautical miles from Constanța, just outside Romania’s territorial waters. Nine of its 13 crew members were rescued.
The crew included 10 Ukrainian nationals and three Azerbaijani nationals. Romanian officials said rescue teams were searching for the missing sailors. Rough seas and poor visibility made the search harder.
The conditions also prevented a helicopter from taking part. Dan said the strike was part of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The reports cited in the article do not independently establish who was responsible.
The sinking adds to a series of attacks on commercial ships near Romania and Bulgaria. The attacks have raised concerns about safety for ships in the Black Sea. NATO said earlier this week it would monitor the region more closely using additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones.