A ship carrying Ukrainians sank in the Black Sea

On the morning of October 23, a merchant ship carrying Ukrainians and Azerbaijanis sank in the Black Sea near the Romanian coast. One sailor died as a result of the incident, and three others are missing.

According to the Romanian media outlet Digi24.ro, at around 10:00 a.m., the Romanian Maritime Administration’s coordination center received a report about the vessel Khoryv ("Khoryv") had encountered distress outside Romanian territorial waters, approximately 13 nautical miles (about 24 kilometers) from the port of Constanța.

As reported by the publication, there were 13 crew members on board: 10 Ukrainian citizens and three Azerbaijani citizens. After receiving the distress signal, vessels from the Romanian Agency for the Safety of Life at Sea (ARSVOM) and the Romanian Ministry of the Interior set out to assist the sailors.

Due to adverse weather conditions and poor visibility, it was not possible to deploy a helicopter for the rescue operation. According to Romanian authorities, nine survivors and the body of one deceased person were recovered from the water.

The vessel was flying the flag of the Comoros. Romanian President Nicușor Dan called the incident part of an escalation by Russia.

Romanian media speculate that the vessel may have been struck by a drone. However, there is currently no official information regarding the cause of the sinking. In recent weeks, there have been several attacks on merchant ships in the western part of the Black Sea.

Ірина Глухова