Russian Drone Strike Sinks Cargo Ship Near Romania

A drone strike sank the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv in the Black Sea on Friday, October 23. The vessel capsized approximately 13 nautical miles east of Constanta, Romania, after transmitting a distress signal around 10:00 a.m. local time. The ship carried 13 crew members, including 10 Ukrainians and three Azerbaijanis.

Nicusor Dan, President of Romania, attributed the attack to Russia, describing it as part of an escalation in the war against Ukraine. Romanian naval authorities and the Coast Guard rescued nine sailors, while one was confirmed dead. Three crew members remain missing; search operations continued despite poor weather and low visibility that hindered helicopter deployment.

This incident is the latest in a surge of attacks targeting at least seven commercial ships off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria this month, resulting in approximately 30 casualties. Other targeted vessels include the Wine Trader and the Royad Mammadov. In response, NATO announced the deployment of additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, and drones to the Black Sea. Additionally, Romanian jets shot down two Russian drones over territorial waters on Saturday.