Romania blames Russia after drone sinks cargo ship in Black Sea

A drone strike sank a cargo ship off Romania’s Black Sea coast on Friday, killing one crew member and leaving three missing. The Comoros-flagged vessel Khoryv was hit 13 nautical miles (24km) from the port of Constanta, just outside Romania’s territorial waters. Romania’s naval authority said nine sailors were rescued, while one body was recovered and a search for the missing continued despite poor weather and low visibility.

Escalating attacks on commercial shipping

The Khoryv had departed Turkiye on Wednesday and was headed for Romania’s Sulina port, a key link between the Danube River and the Black Sea. That canal is a primary route for Ukrainian exporters who rely on Danube ports and Romanian territorial waters, as Russia has attacked Ukraine’s own Black Sea ports. But the strike is part of a wider pattern: at least seven cargo ships have been hit and 30 sailors reported killed or missing in the past two weeks, with attacks targeting commercial shipping off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria.

Romanian authorities released video showing only a small part of the capsized tanker’s hull above the waves as it sank. The crew of 13 Ukrainian and Azeri sailors sent a distress signal around 10am local time (0700 GMT), triggering a rescue operation. Yet the search was hampered by bad weather and low visibility, according to Romania’s naval authority.

Romanian and European officials blamed Russia for the attack. President Nicusor Dan called it “a new example of the tragic consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine” and said it was time for Russia to take peace initiatives seriously. Prime Minister Luca Niculescu wrote on Facebook that the attack was “unacceptable and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the strike as “reckless” and said it targeted innocent lives and defied international law.

Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria have called on NATO to “fast-track the additional surveillance capabilities” to protect commercial shipping. NATO said Tuesday it would send more maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, and drones to the Black Sea. On Saturday, Romanian warplanes shot down two latest-generation Russian drones over Romanian territorial waters. Russia has previously denied responsibility for deadly drone attacks in the region, and its officials did not immediately comment on Friday’s sinking.