On Friday, October 23, in the Black Sea near the Romanian port of Constanta, the commercial vessel Khoryv sank after a drone strike; ten Ukrainians were on board. One sailor died, and three more went missing. Nine crew members were rescued.

The incident was reported by Romanian outlet Digi24 and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania.

According to the Romanian Maritime Administration, the vessel under the flag of the Comoros Islands was about 13 nautical miles (24 kilometers) east of Constanta, outside Romanian territorial waters.

At about 10:00 local time, the crew sent a distress signal due to a fire on board. The vessel sustained significant damage and capsized, after which there was a risk of it sinking.

On board were 13 sailors — ten citizens of Ukraine and three citizens of Azerbaijan. Another nearby commercial vessel was the first to come to the rescue and took ten people aboard, one of whom was already dead.

The nine rescued individuals were later transferred to the crew of the Romanian coast guard and taken ashore. There, they are receiving the necessary medical care.

The search for the three missing crew members continues. Coast guard vessels and the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Lives at Sea are participating in the rescue operation. Due to unfavorable weather and limited visibility, the use of a helicopter is currently not possible.

The Romanian authorities have not yet announced the nationalities of the deceased and the three missing sailors.

President of Romania Nicusor Dan confirmed that the vessel was struck by a drone and sank. He linked the incident to the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea amid Russia's war against Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the type of drone and the circumstances of its use were not officially detailed.

Romanian Foreign Minister Dan Neculaescu called the strike on a commercial vessel a violation of international law and freedom of navigation. He said Bucharest is cooperating with NATO allies, particularly Bulgaria and Turkey, to enhance surveillance of the situation in the Black Sea.

The incident occurred against the backdrop of a series of attacks on merchant ships in the western Black Sea. According to Digi24, recently drones have hit 11 commercial vessels, seven of them near Romania.

The increasing number of such incidents creates additional risks for international maritime shipping, including routes linked to Ukrainian exports. The port of Constanta is one of the key transport hubs of the Black Sea region.

The day before, on October 22, the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling to consider the possibility of a separate EU naval operation to protect civilian shipping in the Black Sea. As reported by "Курс України", the document is of a recommendatory nature and does not in itself mean the start of such a mission.