Suspected Drone Strike on Cargo Vessel Leaves One Dead Near Romania

A merchant vessel was struck by a suspected drone in the Black Sea, approximately 13 nautical miles off the coast of Romania and just outside the country's territorial waters, according to local authorities. The incident resulted in the death of one crew member, while nine others were successfully rescued. Rescue teams continue to search for three additional sailors who remain missing following the attack.

The vessel, which was operating under the flag of the Comoros, had a 13-member crew consisting of ten Ukrainian nationals and three Azerbaijani nationals. Following the strike, the ship reportedly sent out a distress call and is currently at risk of sinking, according to statements from the Romanian Ministry of Interior and maritime authorities in the port city of Constanta.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan strongly condemned the incident, attributing responsibility directly to Russia. Although he did not explicitly confirm whether the projectile was a Russian drone during his remarks to the media, he characterized the event as another escalation attempt by Moscow connected to the ongoing war against Ukraine.

President Dan also urged the Russian government to take the peace initiatives presented by the United States and Europe seriously, accept proposed ceasefires, and bring an end to the conflict. Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu echoed these sentiments, describing the attack as unacceptable and a severe violation of international law.

International leaders also condemned the maritime strike. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took to social media to denounce the incident as another escalation by Russia in the Black Sea. She stated that these reckless attacks target innocent people and represent an open violation of international law.

This maritime incident is part of a broader pattern of reported attacks in the region. Authorities noted that similar suspected drone strikes have targeted several other vessels off the Romanian coast and in Bulgarian waters since the beginning of the month, raising heightened security concerns for commercial shipping lanes in the Black Sea.