A drone strike has sunk the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv off Romania’s Black Sea coast, killing at least one sailor and leaving three others missing, Romanian authorities said on Friday. The Khoryv cargo ship sinking is the latest in a sudden surge of attacks on commercial shipping near NATO waters, and Romania’s president blamed Russia for the strike.
FAKTA: Khoryv cargo ship sinking
- Ship: Khoryv, a Comoros-flagged cargo ship with a crew of 13 Ukrainian and Azerbaijani sailors.
- Location: About 13 nautical miles off the Romanian port of Constanta, just beyond Romanian territorial waters.
- Casualties: Nine sailors rescued, one body recovered, three sailors still missing.
- Romanian position: President Nicusor Dan said the ship was hit by a drone and called the attack part of Russia’s escalation in its war in Ukraine.
- Wider pattern: At least seven cargo ships have been hit off Romania and Bulgaria in the past two weeks, with around 30 sailors reported dead or missing.
What happened to the Khoryv
Romania’s naval authority said the Khoryv sent a distress signal 13 nautical miles off Constanta, just outside Romanian territorial waters. Emergency vessels searched the surrounding waters for survivors in choppy seas and high wind.
Nine sailors were rescued from the water, one body was recovered, and three sailors remained missing as the search continued. Video released by Romanian authorities showed only a small part of the capsized vessel’s hull still visible above the waves as it sank.
President Nicusor Dan told reporters that the ship had been hit by a drone. “It is part of Russia’s escalation process in its war in Ukraine,” he said. The immediate attribution rests on the Romanian authorities; no independent public evidence identifying the specific drone responsible has been released.
A surge of attacks on Black Sea shipping
The Khoryv cargo ship sinking follows a sharp rise in attacks on commercial vessels off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. Reuters reported that at least seven cargo ships have been hit in the past two weeks, with some 30 sailors reported dead or missing.
NATO said on Tuesday it would send more maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the Black Sea, though the alliance has not specified what capabilities would be sent. On Saturday, Romanian jets shot down two of the latest generation of Russian drones over Romanian territorial waters.
Why the route matters
The vessels struck lately have either been anchored near or headed towards the Sulina Canal, which links the Danube River to the Black Sea. The canal has become the primary export route for Ukraine, one of the world’s biggest grain and food oil exporters, which has relied on Danube River ports and Romanian territorial waters as Russia has attacked Ukraine’s own Black Sea ports.
Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria have called on NATO to do more to protect commercial shipping in the Black Sea. For more European news, see Watan News Europe coverage.
What happens next
Romanian emergency vessels were continuing the search for the three missing sailors in difficult weather. The sinking adds to pressure on NATO’s Black Sea patrol plans and on efforts to keep Ukraine’s Danube export route open, with the number of sailors dead or missing in the two-week spate of attacks now standing at around 30.
