Another ship was struck by a drone on Friday near Romania’s territorial waters. There were 13 people on board, one of whom was killed, while three others are missing.
Ten of the crew members were Ukrainian, and three were Azerbaijani. The vessel sank following the attack. Nine people were rescued from the ship and brought safely ashore. Nicușor Dan said the tragedy was part of Russia’s efforts to escalate the conflict.
“Yesterday, we held a meeting of the Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT) on this very issue. We will have additional equipment. This is part of Russia’s ongoing escalation of the war in Ukraine,” Nicușor Dan said.
According to the Romanian president, the Khoryv was sailing under the Comorian flag and sank near Romania’s territorial waters.
“What happened again today in the Black Sea, outside Romania’s territorial waters, is unacceptable and a flagrant violation of international law, particularly freedom of navigation, resulting from Russia’s escalation,” Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said.
Romania is coordinating its efforts with Bulgaria and Turkey to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime security. Bucharest is set to receive additional equipment following discussions within NATO, the Romanian prime minister announced.
Romania’s Interior Ministry said the Coast Guard was alerted to a fire aboard a merchant vessel near Constanța at around 10:00 a.m. The vessel was severely damaged in the incident and capsized.
Sailors from another merchant vessel in the area recovered the body of one crew member and rescued nine others on board. The survivors were then taken into the care of the Romanian authorities.
Search and recovery operations for the missing people are continuing, but air support remains impossible due to weather conditions.
The incident comes just days after two drones were shot down over the Black Sea. Several incidents have occurred recently in the Black Sea, including along the Bulgarian and Romanian coasts.