According to Romanian information, a drone hit the freighter “Khoryv” 13 nautical miles from the port city of Constanța and caused it to capsize, and the ship then sank. The crew of the freighter flying the Comoros flag made an emergency call on Friday night. The accident site is just outside Romanian territorial waters, but within the country's economic zone.
Of the 13 sailors on board - ten Ukrainians and three Azerbaijanis - nine survived and one died, according to the shipping authority in Constanta, which is responsible for rescue operations. A search is underway for the remaining three crew members.
The offshore ship “Sartor” belonging to the Norwegian shipping company Høyland Offshore pulled the survivors out of the water, as the company confirmed to broadcaster NRK. The ship is working in the region to expand a Romanian oil field and was called by local rescue authorities. “It was a boat that capsized and asked for help, and then we went to help,” owner Karsten Høyland told the station.
According to NRK information, Captain Oskar Hansen from Tromsø was standing on the bridge. Under his leadership, the “Sartor” immediately set course for the scene of the accident and took the lead in the rescue. In choppy seas and strong winds, the crew located nine people in the water and pulled them aboard alive. The shipping company describes the team's quick reaction as crucial.
A total of ten people were rescued, one of them dead, said managing director Trym Jacobsen. It is unclear whether the “Sartor” or the Romanian coast guard recovered the body. The survivors were given first aid on board and then handed over to Romanian authorities on land. Hansen himself is not yet allowed to comment; he is waiting for approval from the shipping company.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan described the incident as another “escalation attempt by Russia” in connection with the war of aggression against Ukraine. In this context, “a ship was hit by a drone,” Dan said. He did not say whether it was a Russian drone. “It is time for Russia to take seriously the peace initiatives of the United States and Europe, accept the ceasefire proposals and end the war.”
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Platform X about “further escalation by Russia in the Black Sea”. “These reckless attacks target innocent people and constitute a flagrant violation of international law.”
According to the NRK, there is currently no clear evidence of who is behind the attacks. Russia has denied responsibility for previous attacks on ships in the Black Sea.
The “Khoryv” is the fourth merchant ship that was suspected to have had a drone accident off the Romanian coast in October. Just over a week ago, two merchant ships were hit within a few days near Sulina at the mouth of the Danube, and at the beginning of October a ship carrying Ukrainian grain was hit near Sfantu Gheorghe.
Recently, several ships in the economic zones of neighboring Bulgaria were also targeted. The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas counted six suspected Russian drone attacks on Bulgaria and Romania within ten days and spoke of a “dangerous and unacceptable escalation”.
Both countries are demanding more support from NATO for security in the Black Sea. The alliance recently sent reinforcements to the region to support surveillance, reconnaissance and the investigation of the attacks.
