Drone strikes cargo ship in Black Sea near Romania, killing sailor

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 17:39 · Archive

A drone has hit a commercial vessel off Romania, killing at least one sailor with three more missing.

A cargo ship was hit by a drone in the Black Sea on Friday morning approximately 13 nautical miles off Romania's coast, killing at least one crew member and leaving three missing. The Khoryv, flying under the Comoros flag, caught fire and sank near the port city of Constanta. Nine sailors were rescued by the coast guard.

The ship carried ten Ukrainian citizens and three Azerbaijanis. Search and rescue operations continued, though Romanian naval authorities said deploying a helicopter was not possible due to unfavorable weather conditions and low visibility.

Romanian President Nicușor Dan said the attack was part of Russia's escalation of the war in Ukraine and called for Russia to accept peace initiatives and ceasefire proposals. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was 'deeply alarmed' by the 'reckless attacks' that 'openly defy international law'. She expressed condolences to the family of the sailor killed and the families of the three missing crew members.

This is the latest in a series of drone attacks on commercial shipping near NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. Over the past month, drones have hit several cargo ships and chemical tankers in the region, killing more than 20 people in total.

How it is being reported

• Romania blames Russia after drone sinks ship in the Black SeaOne sailor killed and three others missing after Comoros-flagged Khoryv hit near Romanian waters.Al Jazeera · 23 Oct, 18:26
• 1 sailor dead and 3 missing after Russian drone strikes cargo ship in Black Sea off coast of RomaniaRomanian naval authorities said that a search and rescue mission was underway after the ship caught fire and sank about 15 miles east of the port city of Constanta, near Romania’s territorial waters.New York Post · 23 Oct, 17:23
• Drone hits another ship in Black Sea near Romania, killing at least 1 sailorPresident Nicușor Dan said the incident was part of Russia’s “escalation” of the war in Ukraine.Politico Europe · 23 Oct, 12:34

In this story: Romania · Nicușor Dan · Russia · Ukraine · Ursula von der Leyen · NATO · Black Sea · Khoryv

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem