A sailor is dead and three are missing after a drone strike on October 23 sank the Comoros-flagged merchant ship Khoryv about 13 miles east of Romania’s port city of Constanța, Romanian media said.
Reports citing the Romanian Naval Authority and Ministry of Internal Affairs said that a large-scale rescue operation was underway, involving four ships.
The Khoryv made a distress call at about 10am, reportedly saying that it had been hit by a drone.
Romania’s maritime rescue agency said that nine sailors and the lifeless body of a 10th member of the ship’s crew had been retrieved from the waters of the Black Sea.
The Khoyyv had been sailing from Ereğli, Türkiye, to Sulina, Romania, with a cargo of ferrous metals.
The crew were reported to be 10 Ukrainian nationals and three Azerbaijani nationals.
This is the latest incident of a drone attack on merchant shipping in the Black Sea off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, which have led to stepped-up deployment of military aircraft by Nato. The drone strikes are widely believed to be the work of Russia.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan said on X on October 23: “This morning, the Khoryv ship, flying the Comorian flag, was struck by a drone and sank near Romania’s territorial waters. Unfortunately, one sailor has died, and three others are still being searched for”.
“I congratulate the rescuers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, without whose intervention the number of victims would have been much higher,” Dan said.
“This attack is a new example of the tragic consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. It is time for Russia to take seriously the peace initiatives of the United States and Europe, to accept the ceasefire proposals, and to end the war,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X: “Deeply alarmed by yet another Russian escalation in the Black Sea”.
A civilian vessel carrying Ukrainian and Azerbaijani crew has been struck off the coast of Romania, Von der Leyen said.
“These reckless attacks target innocent lives and openly defy international law,” she said.
“My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the sailor that was killed. And with the families of the three crew members still missing. My gratitude goes to the rescue teams working tirelessly to find them,” Von der Leyen said.
(Photo: Vessel Finder)
Drone strike sinks merchant ship off Romania’s coast, one dead, three missing 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-23 11:42:52
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