A fire on the ship Royad Mammadov in the Black Sea, outside Romania’s territorial waters, resulted in the deaths of two individuals, according to Romanian authorities. Eleven crew members were rescued, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attributed the incident to Russian drones, confirming one death and noting that another person is still unaccounted for.
Zelenskiy described the event as a “horrific strike” on a civilian vessel carrying corn, which was owned by Türkiye and had crew members from Azerbaijan and India. He expressed condolences for the deceased captain and mentioned that one crew member was injured during the rescue operation.
Romanian authorities have not commented on the fire’s cause, while Russian officials have remained silent. The Russian Defence Ministry previously reported strikes on two cargo vessels, raising concerns about maritime safety in the region.
The incident occurred near an oil platform operated by Romania’s OMV Petrom, which confirmed its operations were normal. The Royad Mammadov was en route to Ravenna, Italy, after last docking in Ukraine’s Izmail. Romania, a NATO member, has faced security challenges, including drone incursions and floating mines, since the onset of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
