Romania is holding Russia responsible for a drone attack that sank a cargo ship off its Black Sea coast on Friday. One crew member died and three others remain unaccounted for, according to Romanian authorities.
The attack is the latest against commercial vessels near Romania and Bulgaria, both NATO members. Reports cited by the source say at least seven cargo ships have been hit and 30 sailors killed or missing in the past two weeks, fuelling concern that the war in Ukraine is widening.
How the Khoryv was struck and sank
The drone hit the Comoros-flagged Khoryv, whose crew of 13 included Ukrainian and Azeri sailors. The strike took place 13 nautical miles (24km) from Romania’s port of Constanta, just beyond Romanian territorial waters.
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MarineTraffic, a shipping data website, showed the vessel had left Turkiye on Wednesday and was bound for Romania’s Sulina port, which connects the Danube River with the Black Sea. That waterway has become the main route for Ukrainian exporters, who depend on Danube ports and Romanian waters because Russia has attacked Ukraine’s own Black Sea ports.
Video released by Romanian authorities showed only a small section of the hull still visible above the waves as the ship went under. Romania began a rescue operation after the Khoryv sent a distress signal at about 10am local time (0700 GMT).
Romania’s naval authority said nine sailors were rescued, three remained missing and one body was recovered. Poor weather and low visibility hampered the search and rescue effort.
Calls for NATO surveillance and political reaction
Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria have asked NATO to speed up additional surveillance capabilities to protect shipping, following a rise in Black Sea drone attacks. NATO said on Tuesday that it would send more maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the region.
Romanian and European officials blamed Russia for the sinking. President Nicusor Dan described it as “a new example of the tragic consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine” and urged Moscow to take seriously the peace initiatives backed by the United States and Europe.
Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said on Facebook that the attack was “unacceptable and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law”. Moldova’s Foreign Ministry said on X that Russia’s escalation in the Black Sea endangers civilians and threatens freedom of navigation. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the attacks “reckless”.
Russia’s silence and the shootdown of drones
Russian officials did not immediately comment publicly on Friday’s sinking. Romanian warplanes also shot down two of the latest-generation Russian drones over Romanian territorial waters on Saturday.
Russia has previously denied responsibility for deadly drone attacks in the region.
