Ukraine-Russia War: Merchant ship sinks off Romania after drone hit

According to information from Bucharest, a drone hit a merchant ship off the coast of Romania and caused it to capsize; As a result, the Khoryv sank. One sailor died and nine were rescued, several Romanian media reported, citing the shipping authority in the port city of Constanța responsible for the rescue operations. A search is underway for three more missing sailors.

President 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. Dan did not say whether a Russian drone hit the ship. "It is time for Russia to take the peace initiatives of the United States and Europe seriously, accept the ceasefire proposals and end the war."

Apparently just outside Romanian territorial waters

The incident occurred 13 nautical miles from Constanța in the Black Sea and therefore just outside Romanian territorial waters, as the media reported, citing the shipping authority. The crew of the ship - ten Ukrainians and three Azerbaijanis - which was flying the Comoros flag, were able to make an emergency call.

It is the fourth merchant ship to have had an accident off the Romanian coast in October alone, presumably due to drone hits. Just over a week ago, two merchant ships were hit by drones a few days apart near Sulina at the mouth of the Danube into the Black Sea. At the beginning of October, another ship carrying Ukrainian grain was also affected near the Romanian Danube-Black Sea town of Sfantu Gheorghe.

Drone attacks on merchant ships have recently increased in the Black Sea. In recent days, several ships in the Black Sea economic zones of neighboring Bulgaria have also been targeted. Both countries are therefore demanding more support from NATO for security in the Black Sea. Drones have been repeatedly sighted in Romanian airspace since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression against neighboring Ukraine.