Two dead, 11 rescued after fire and sinking of ship in Black Sea; Ukraine blames Russian drones
The Royad Mammadov caught fire and sank in the Black Sea off Romania. Two crew members died and 11 sailors were rescued. Authorities did not state the cause of the fire, and the question of drone involvement remained unanswered.
Yulduz Salimov2 min read
Two crew members died and 11 sailors were rescued on Monday, October 5, 2026, after a fire broke out aboard a vessel in the Black Sea and it later sank. Romanian authorities reported the incident.
The vessel — the 139-meter Royad Mammadov — sank about 30 nautical miles south of the fishing port of Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania's Interior Ministry said.
"At around 11:00, border police received a report that a fire had broken out aboard a merchant vessel located in Romania's exclusive economic zone," the ministry said in a statement. "Eleven crew members were rescued. The identities of the two dead have also been established," it added.
The cause of the fire was not given, and authorities did not answer whether a drone was involved. The Defense Ministry did not respond to an AFP query about whether the vessel could have been hit by an unmanned aerial vehicle.
The injured from the Royad Mammadov were evacuated by helicopter. "Three crew members were wounded and eight are in good condition," Irina Pushkashu, a representative of Romania's Naval Authority, told AFP, identifying the vessel. Local media reported it was a Turkish cargo ship.
Drone war in the Black Sea
The Black Sea is increasingly becoming a battlefield for drone attacks in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Last month, maritime risk expert Ambrey reported that war-related objects in the Black Sea had more than doubled over six months, and that at least a third of them carried warheads. The increase was recorded in Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish waters.
In August, a Romanian F-16 fighter jet destroyed a naval drone near a Black Sea offshore gas project; Romanian President Nicușor Dan blamed Russia for the incident. In June, a Ukrainian naval drone exploded in Romania's Black Sea port of Constanța without causing casualties. Kyiv said the drone was diverted by Russian electronic warfare means.
Turkey expressed concern over attacks on shipping in the Black Sea, and Turkish sailors held protests over those killed as a result of the attacks.
Source: thehindu.com
