Cargo ship sunk by Russian drone

A cargo ship was sunk by a Russian drone in the Black Sea near the European Union, marking the eighth such incident in two weeks. The attack occurred off the coast of Romania, resulting in at least one death and three missing persons.

Details of the attack and the ship

The ship, named Khoryv, flew the flag of Comoros and had 13 Ukrainian and Azerbaijani crew members on board. According to Romanian naval authorities, the vessel emitted a distress signal approximately 24 kilometers from the port of Constanța, just beyond Romanian territorial waters.

Rescue efforts and aftermath

Rescue efforts recovered nine crew members, while a body was also recovered, and three sailors remain missing. A video released by Romanian authorities shows the ship capsizing, with only a small part of the hull still emerging from the waves.

European Commission reacts

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, expressed being "deeply alarmed by a new Russian escalation" following the attack on the commercial vessel. She condemned the attack as targeting innocent lives and challenging international law.

Condolences and praise for rescue teams

She also expressed condolences to the relatives of the deceased sailor and to the families of the three missing persons, while praising the work of the rescue teams mobilized on site.

Romanian president accuses Russia

Romanian President Nicușor Dan directly accused Moscow of the attack, stating it was part of Russia's escalation process in its war in Ukraine. He specified that the ship had been struck by a drone.

Pattern of attacks and their impact

In the past two weeks, at least seven cargo ships have been hit by attacks, resulting in a total of about thirty deaths or missing persons among the crews. The targeted ships were mostly near the Sulina channel, which connects the Danube to the Black Sea, or en route to it.

Strategic importance of the maritime route

This maritime route has become strategic for Ukraine, one of the world's main exporters of cereals and food oils. Since Russia has intensified attacks on Ukrainian port infrastructure, Kiev is relying more on Danube ports and Romanian territorial waters to transport its goods to international markets.