Two people died and 11 crew members were rescued after the cargo ship Royad Mammadov caught fire and sank in Romania's exclusive economic zone, about 30 nautical miles south of Sfântu Gheorghe, Romanian authorities said. [1] [2]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attributed the fire to a strike by two Russian drones and said the Turkish-owned vessel was carrying corn. Romanian authorities did not identify the cause, and Russia did not immediately comment on this specific incident. [1] [2]
ContextThe St Kitts and Nevis-flagged vessel had departed Ukraine's Izmail port for Italy. The episode adds to maritime security risks affecting Black Sea trade and energy routes, but the available Romanian statements do not independently establish the cause. [1] [2]