A Turkish-owned grain ship sinks off Romania, killing two crew members
The Royad Mammadov, carrying Ukrainian grain from Izmail to Italy, caught fire and sank in Romania’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone; two crew members died and 11 were rescued. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed two Russian drones, but Romanian authorities have not confirmed the cause, leaving the allegation unverified.
Bottom line — The sinking puts another civilian grain shipment on a Black Sea route where shipping safety remains unresolved.
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Romanian authorities said the vessel was outside territorial waters, about 56 km south of Sfântu Gheorghe.
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The ship sailed under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis; a Turkish company held a stake, according to Türkiye’s ambassador to Bucharest.
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Three of the 11 rescued crew members were injured and evacuated by helicopter, Romanian maritime authorities said.
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Zelensky said the captain was among the dead and that Azerbaijani and Indian nationals were aboard.
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Romanian officials confirmed the fire, sinking and casualties but did not identify its cause or publicly attribute it to a drone attack.
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OMV Petrom said the nearby Pescăruș platform continued operating normally and that its personnel were safe.
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Türkiye has sought a mutual halt to attacks on commercial shipping, while India said it was discussing shipping safety with Russia and Ukraine.