Drone strikes Turkish-owned cargo ship off Romania, killing at least one crew member
A drone struck the Turkish-owned cargo ship Royad Mammadov in the Black Sea off Romania on Oct. 5, killing at least one crew member, injuring three and leaving another missing, according to Romanian authorities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the vessel, which was carrying corn from the Ukrainian port of Izmail, had been hit by two Russian drones.
Romanian authorities confirmed that the vessel had apparently been struck by a drone but had not publicly identified who launched it.
The Royad Mammadov was about 20 nautical miles (37 kilometers) from the Romanian coast and nine nautical miles from the Pescăruș offshore oil platform when the incident occurred. The site is outside Romania's territorial waters but within its exclusive economic zone.
The vessel had departed Izmail and was sailing toward Italy. Romanian media reported that it was heading to Ravenna.
Eleven crew members were rescued. Three injured sailors were evacuated by helicopter, while eight others were picked up by rescue vessels, according to the Romanian Naval Authority.
One sailor remained missing in the latest update, while rescuers were preparing to recover a body found on a life raft. Romania's Interior Ministry had earlier reported that two people were dead as information from the ongoing rescue operation continued to be updated.
Zelenskyy said the crew included Azerbaijani and Indian nationals. He said the ship's captain had been killed.
The vessel sails under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis but is described as Turkish because of its ownership or operator, according to Romanian media.