Romania Accuses Russia of Sinking Cargo Ship in Black Sea Drone Attack
Romania’s president accused Russia of using a drone to sink the Comoros-flagged cargo vessel Khoryv near Constanța on Oct. 23. Romanian authorities reported one crew member dead, three missing and nine rescued; the crew included 10 Ukrainians and three Azerbaijanis. The ship’s distress call came from about 13 nautical miles off Constanța, just outside Romania’s territorial waters.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan attributed the Khoryv’s sinking to a Russian drone strike. The Comoros-flagged vessel went down 13 nautical miles from Constanța, beyond Romania’s territorial sea, after leaving Turkey on Oct. 21 for Sulina. Officials said it burned and overturned; one crew member died, three remained missing and nine were rescued. The crew comprised ten Ukrainians and three Azerbaijanis, and poor weather hindered helicopter search efforts.
The incident fits a wider pattern: at least seven commercial ships have been struck near Romania and Bulgaria this month, with roughly 30 sailors killed or missing. Earlier, the Turkish-owned Royad Mammadov burned and sank off Romania, killing two; Ukrainian officials blamed Russian drones, while Romanian authorities did not establish the cause.
The sinking may heighten anxiety among commercial crews and port communities in Romania and Bulgaria, where repeated strikes could make recruitment and insurance costlier. It could also disrupt Danube–Black Sea shipping routes used for grain and other goods, potentially affecting traders and consumers. NATO’s planned surveillance increase may reassure some mariners, though it could also raise regional tensions; the practical effect will depend on whether attacks on civilian vessels continue.