Drones strike Turkish ship in the Black Sea, leaving two dead and one missing

A Turkish-owned cargo ship sank in the Black Sea after being hit by a drone and catching fire. The vessel was carrying grain from Ukraine to Italy.

The incident resulted in the deaths of two sailors, while 11 others were rescued alive. One person remains missing. The ship “Royad Mammadov,” registered under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, had left the Ukrainian port of Izmail around three hours earlier and was headed for Ravenna.

The strike occurred approximately 20 miles off the Romanian coast. Following the explosions, a major fire broke out on board, prompting Romanian authorities to deploy ships and helicopters in a wide-ranging search-and-rescue operation.

Three of the rescued sailors were taken to a hospital in Constanta because of multiple injuries. Their condition is reported to be out of danger. So far, there has been no official confirmation of those responsible for the attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia, stating that the civilian ship had been attacked by two Russian drones in neutral waters. He described the incident as a “horror attack” and called for increased pressure on Moscow to ensure the safety of navigation and food exports.

The latest attack follows several other drone incidents near Romania’s shores. The continuing clashes have heightened tensions in the Black Sea, an area of major importance for shipping Ukrainian grain to international markets.

Turkey’s ambassador to Bucharest, Özgür Kıvanç Altan, described the incident as “sad and concerning.” He stressed that Turkey supports security, stability and freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. President Rexhepe Tajip Erdogan previously described attacks on civilian ships in the area as “unacceptable.”

Another similar incident was reported at the end of September, when the Turkish ship ‘Aroyat’ was attacked, also in the Black Sea. Following that attack, the ship’s second engineer, Albanian national Erkan Nika, was reported missing.