Cargo Ship Carrying Indian And Azerbaijani Crew Sinks In Black Sea After Drone Strike, 2 Killed

Two crew members were killed and 11 others rescued after a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying corn caught fire and sank in the Black Sea on Monday, October 5, following what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was a Russian drone attack.

The 139-metre (455-foot) Royad Mammadov, carrying Indian and Azerbaijani nationals, was sailing from Ukraine’s Port of Izmail to the Italian port of Ravenna when it was attacked about 30 nautical miles south of Romania’s fishing port of Sfantu Gheorghe, according to the information provided.

The incident occurred inside Romania’s exclusive economic zone.

Zelenskyy said two Russian drones struck the civilian vessel in neutral waters. He said the ship’s captain had been killed and expressed condolences, while saying the fate of another person was still being established.

However, the captain’s status was not independently confirmed in the information provided.

A vessel-tracking incident report cited by The Week said the captain was injured and was not among the two confirmed casualties. Romanian authorities confirmed that two people had died but did not identify them.

Romania’s Interior Ministry said Coast Guard border police officers were informed at around 11:00 that a fire had broken out aboard a commercial vessel in the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Of the 11 people rescued, three were injured and eight were in good condition, according to Irina Puscasu, spokesperson for the Romanian Naval Authority.

The injured crew members were rescued by helicopter.

The Constanta Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) coordinated the rescue operation and requested the deployment of Romanian maritime rescue vessels.

The SAR Apollo departed from Sulina, while the SAR Artemis was mobilised from berth 72. The MRCC also requested the dispatch of the SAR Ares.

A Romanian Coast Guard ship was designated as the On-Scene Coordinator and worked with border police and a General Aviation Inspectorate helicopter during the rescue operation.

The vessel later sank.

The cause of the fire was not provided by Romanian authorities. They also did not confirm whether a drone was involved.

Ukraine and Russia have both increasingly used drones during the conflict, while commercial vessels operating in the region have faced growing security concerns.

Turkey has repeatedly raised concerns over attacks affecting its vessels and seafarers.

The Turkish Chamber of Maritime Commerce (IMEAK) said last month that 226 civilian and commercial vessels had been attacked in the Black Sea since the war began, with the vast majority of those incidents reported this year.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has described the attacks as “unacceptable”. Turkey has also expressed frustration to both Russia and Ukraine over attacks affecting Black Sea shipping.

The latest incident follows a reported increase in war-related objects being found in the Black Sea.

Maritime risk company Ambrey said in a report last month that the number of such objects detected in the Black Sea had more than doubled over six months amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

At least one-third of the objects were carrying live payloads, according to Ambrey. They included unexploded ordnance, drones and other unmanned vehicles found floating in the sea or washed ashore.

In August, a Romanian F-16 fighter jet destroyed a marine drone near an offshore gas project in the Black Sea. Romanian President Nicusor Dan blamed Russia for the incident.

In June, a Ukrainian maritime drone exploded in Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta, although there were no reported casualties. Kyiv said the drone had been knocked off course by Russian electronic interference.