Ship sinks near Romania after suspected Russian drone strike: Dead and missing reported

At around 10 a.m., the Romanian Maritime Administration's coordination center received a report about the vessel Khoryv, which was in distress outside Romanian territorial waters, 13 nautical miles (about 24 km) from the port of Constanța.

There were 13 crew members on board: 10 Ukrainian citizens and 3 Azerbaijani citizens.

After receiving the distress signal, vessels from the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea (ARSVOM) and the Romanian Ministry of the Interior set out to assist the sailors.

"Due to adverse weather conditions and low visibility, it is impossible to deploy a helicopter for the rescue operation. So far, rescue vessels have managed to pull nine survivors and one body from the water," the agency states.

According to the information available at this time, the vessel in question is a commercial ship flying the flag of the Comoros.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan called the incident part of an escalation by Russia.

Romanian media report that the ship may have been struck by a drone, though the cause of the incident has not yet been officially determined. In recent weeks, there have been several attacks on merchant ships in the western part of the Black Sea.

Russian attacks on ships in Black Sea

On the morning of October 15, the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader caught fire approximately 24 kilometers southeast of the Romanian city of Sulina. The vessel was en route from Tunisia to Romania.

Five crew members were rescued; seven others are still missing.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan stated that both ships involved in the recent incidents were attacked by drones. At the same time, he refrained from directly accusing Russia and emphasized that the Romanian side must establish all the circumstances surrounding the events.

On the evening of October 14, a fire broke out on another tanker—the Yara J, flying the Comoros flag. The vessel was in Romanian territorial waters. The crew managed to extinguish the fire on their own, and there were no casualties.

Both vessels were anchored near the mouth of the Sulina Canal, which leads to the Danube.

And on October 13, drones attacked two vessels off the coast of Bulgaria. One of them sank, and the crews were in danger.

Bulgarian authorities stated that they currently do not have sufficient evidence to definitively determine the origin of the drones, although they expressed suspicions regarding Russia's involvement.

This route is of critical importance for Ukrainian exports, as shipments through the Danube ports and adjacent maritime routes have taken on particular significance following Russian strikes on Ukraine's port infrastructure.