A merchant ship was struck by drones in Romania’s Black Sea waters
Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia after a drone struck and sank the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv on Friday, about 13 nautical miles off Constanta. One crew member died, three are missing and nine were rescued. It is the latest in a series of Black Sea shipping attacks off Romania and Bulgaria this month.
More context
The Khoryv was sailing from Ereğli, Türkiye, toward Romania’s Sulina port with a cargo of ferrous metals when it sent a distress call at about 10 a.m. The Comoros-flagged vessel sank about 13 nautical miles (24 kilometers) from Constanța, outside Romania’s territorial waters. Its 13-person crew included 10 Ukrainians and three Azerbaijanis. Rescuers pulled nine people from the sea and recovered one body; three crew members remained missing. Authorities said weather prevented a helicopter from joining the search.
President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia, calling the strike part of Moscow’s escalation in its war against Ukraine. The drone’s origin has not been confirmed. Romania’s Supreme Council for National Defense said Thursday that threats to navigation and critical infrastructure had increased significantly. Reuters reported at least seven cargo ships hit in the area this month, with about 30 sailors dead or missing.
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Reporting
- novinite.com — Black Sea: Drone Strike Sinks Ship off Romania, Leaving One Dead and Three Missing (UPDATED) - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency
- sofiaglobe.com — Drone strike sinks merchant ship off Romania’s coast, one dead, three missing – The Sofia Globe
- kyivpost.com — Romania Blames Russia After Drone Strike Sinks Ship, Killing One
- com.ua — One dead and three missing after drone strike sinks vessel Khoryv off Romanian coast | Ukrainska Pravda
- The Hindu — Romania blames Russia for new deadly attack on ship
- ABC News — A drone hit and sank a cargo vessel in new Black Sea attack near Romania, killing 1 - ABC News
- Al Jazeera — Romania blames Russia after drone sinks ship in the Black Sea | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera
- The Moscow Times — Romania Blames Russia for Deadly Drone Attack on Cargo Ship - The Moscow Times
Verifier’s note
The results report that the Comoros-flagged merchant ship Khoryv was struck by a drone and sank near Romania on October 23, with one crew member dead and three missing. Reports place it just outside Romania’s territorial waters, which is consistent with the proposed event’s broader description of the Black Sea off Romania.