On Friday, 23 October, off Romania’s Black Sea coast, a merchant vessel, the Khoryv, sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands, was reportedly hit by drones. It was about 13 nautical miles from Constanța, outside Romania’s territorial waters.
This was reported by Romania TV.
According to the Romanian Maritime Administration, there were 13 crew members on board — ten Ukrainian nationals and three Azerbaijani nationals. After an SOS signal was received, Romanian rescue services launched a search-and-rescue operation.
So far, rescuers have managed to pull nine people alive from the water and recover the body of one person who died. Three more crew members were reported missing. Due to adverse weather conditions and poor visibility, it was not possible to deploy a helicopter for the operation.
Romania’s President Called It an Escalation by Russia
Romanian President Nicușor Dan described the drone attack on the merchant vessel as another sign of escalation by Russia. In response to the incident, the Romanian authorities plan to strengthen capabilities to protect maritime space.
Dan made the statement after a meeting of Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT). On Tuesday, at the request of Romania and Bulgaria, a meeting of the relevant NATO committee was held. Dan added that the country would receive additional equipment.
- Earlier, the European Parliament urged the EU to consider the possibility of a naval operation in the Black Sea in response to attacks against civilian merchant vessels. MEPs also proposed using unspent funds from the SAFE instrument to help Romania and Bulgaria counter hostile drones that threaten maritime transport.