On the morning of 23 October, the vessel Khoryv, flying the Comoros flag, was struck by a drone and sank in Romanian territorial waters. This was announced by the country’s president, Nicușor Dan.
“Unfortunately, one seafarer has died, and the search for three others continues. I would like to thank the rescue teams from the Ministry of the Interior: without their intervention, the death toll would have been significantly higher,” he wrote on social media.
Dan described the attack as yet another example of the “tragic consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine”.
“It is time for Russia to take the peace initiatives proposed by the US and Europe seriously, to accept the ceasefire proposals and to put an end to the war,” added the Romanian president.
According to MarineTraffic, the vessel was travelling from the Turkish port of Ereğli to the Romanian port of Sulina.
Upon receiving a distress signal, the Romanian Agency for the Safety of Life at Sea (ARSVOM) and the Ministry of the Interior dispatched rescue teams to the scene. Nine people were evacuated from the vessel. There were also plans to send a Black Hawk military helicopter to the area of the attack, but weather conditions prevented this, according to Romania Insider.
Reaction from the European Commission
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that she was “deeply alarmed by yet another escalation by Russia in the Black Sea”. She noted that the crew included citizens of Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
“These reckless attacks endanger the lives of innocent people and constitute a flagrant violation of international law. My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the deceased seafarer, as well as with the families of the three crew members who are still listed as missing,” she added.
The Russian side has not yet commented on these statements.
On 15 October, Romania reported an attack on the vessel Wine Trader off its coast. Of the 12 crew members, the fate of seven remains unknown, whilst five were rescued.
Russia has recently stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian ports, as well as on vessels in the Black Sea travelling to or from Ukraine. Moscow describes these attacks as a response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian vessels and those linked to Russia.
On 1 October, Russian President Vladimir Putin ruled out the possibility of any agreements to halt the strikes. This comes against a backdrop of fears that disruptions to supplies of Russian and Ukrainian grain to the global market will lead to famine in the poorest countries.