Earlier today, the Turkish-operated cargo ship Royad Mammadov (IMO: 9356969) sank in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania, local outlet HotNews reported, citing the Romanian Interior Ministry. The vessel caught fire and went down after being struck by a drone.
Two of the 13 crew members were killed, while 11 were rescued. Three of those rescued were injured.
According to a report by ZIUA de Constanța, the vessel was attacked by a drone while it was approximately 20 nautical miles (roughly 37 kilometers) from shore. The bulk carrier was transporting grain and was bound for the Italian port of Ravenna, where it was due to arrive Oct. 12. Data from the Starboard Maritime Intelligence vessel tracking platform shows that the ship departed in mid-September from the Ukrainian port of Izmail.
The vessel entered the Black Sea during the afternoon of Oct. 3, and the ship-tracking service recorded disruptions in its AIS transmissions at around 9:20 local time on the morning of Oct. 5. The attack likely occurred around then.
Although Romanian media reported that the ship had been struck by a drone, officials have not officially identified the cause of the fire. Reuters reported that Romania’s Naval Authority declined to comment on the incident.
The Royad Mammadov sails under the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis, but Turkish companies are responsible for its commercial and technical operations.
Last week, Russia attacked a Liberian-flagged cargo ship at a port in Ukraine’s Odesa Region, killing one person. The two crew members killed aboard the Royad Mammadov bring the total fatalities from similar strikes to seven over the past month.
