Romania has blamed Russia for a drone strike that sank a cargo ship off its Black Sea coast, killing one crew member and leaving three others missing.
The Comoros-flagged vessel Khoryv was struck on Friday, 13 nautical miles off Romania's port of Constanta, just outside Romanian territorial waters. The ship was carrying a crew of 13 Ukrainian and Azerbaijani sailors.
According to shipping data, the Khoryv had departed Turkiye on Wednesday and was headed for Romania's Sulina port, which connects the Danube River to the Black Sea. The canal has become the primary route for Ukrainian exporters, who rely on Danube ports and Romanian territorial waters after Russia attacked Ukraine's own Black Sea ports.
Romania launched a rescue operation after the Khoryv sent a distress signal at around 10am local time (0700 GMT). Nine sailors were rescued, one body was recovered, and three remain missing. Authorities said the search and rescue operation was hampered by poor weather conditions and low visibility.
Video released by Romanian authorities showed only a small section of the capsized vessel's hull visible above the waves as it sank.
The attack on the Khoryv is the latest in a surge of drone strikes targeting commercial shipping off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. At least seven cargo ships have been hit and 30 sailors reported killed or missing over the past two weeks, raising fears of escalation in Russia's war against Ukraine.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan called the incident "a new example of the tragic consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine." He added: "It is time for Russia to take peace initiatives of the United States and Europe seriously, accept the ceasefire proposals and end the war."
Romania's Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said on Facebook that the attack was "unacceptable and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law."
Moldova's Foreign Ministry stated that "Russia's continued escalation in the Black Sea endangers civilian lives, threatens freedom of navigation and undermines regional security."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the attacks as "reckless," saying they "target innocent lives and openly defy international law."
Russian officials did not immediately comment publicly on Friday's sinking. Russia has previously denied responsibility for deadly drone attacks in the region.
The incident occurred after Romanian warplanes shot down two of the latest-generation Russian drones over Romanian territorial waters on Saturday.
Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria have called on NATO to fast-track additional surveillance capabilities to protect commercial shipping in the Black Sea. NATO announced on Tuesday that it would deploy more maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, and drones to the region.
