BUCHAREST, Romania — A drone strike sank a cargo ship in the Black Sea on Friday, killing one crew member and leaving three others missing, officials said. The incident marks the latest assault on commercial shipping in the area and has intensified concerns that Russia’s war in Ukraine could widen further.
Romanian naval authorities said the vessel caught fire before going down roughly 15 miles east of Constanta, close to Romania’s territorial waters. A search-and-rescue operation was launched. The crew included 10 Ukrainians and three Azerbaijanis, with nine people rescued.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan condemned the strike as another devastating consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “It is time for Russia to take peace initiatives of the United States and Europe seriously, accept the cease-fire proposals and end the war,” he said.
The sinking comes after at least seven other cargo ships were attacked this month off the Black Sea coastlines of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. Those incidents have resulted in two deaths and left 25 people missing.
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Footage released by Romania’s Interior Ministry showed the vessel’s hull barely visible above the water as it bobbed in rough seas.
Romanian naval officials identified the ship as the Comoros-flagged Khoryv. Shipping tracker MarineTraffic indicated that the vessel left Turkey on Oct. 21 and was sailing toward Romania’s port of Sulina.
“Rescue teams continue search operations to identify and rescue the other three crew members,” the naval authority said. Officials added that poor weather and limited visibility prevented them from sending a helicopter to assist in the operation.
The following day, Romanian pilots conducting air-policing operations shot down two drones inside the country’s territorial waters in the Black Sea.
