Russian drone attacks ship in Black Sea, 2 killed

A commercial ship has sunk in the Black Sea after catching fire after being hit by a Russian drone, killing two people. Romanian authorities say 11 of the ship's crew have been rescued. 
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media that two Russian drones carried out a deadly attack on a civilian ship owned by Turkey in neutral waters. The ship was carrying corn.

However, there was no immediate comment from Russia on the incident.

The Romanian Interior Ministry said the coast guard was notified at around 11am local time on Monday (October 5). The ship was in Romania's exclusive economic zone, about 30 nautical miles (55km) south of Sfantuul George, Tulcea County.

The ministry did not say what caused the fire, but some Romanian media outlets reported that a Turkish grain ship was hit by a drone attack southeast of an oil platform in the Black Sea. Authorities have not confirmed the information, however.

Romanian maritime authorities said a fire broke out on board the ship named 'Road Mammadov'. According to the shipping tracking website MarineTraffic, it was a general cargo ship flying the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis. The ship was scheduled to leave the port of Izmail in Ukraine and head to Italy.

The Romanian Interior Ministry said 11 crew members were rescued. Two bodies were later found. Some of the injured were taken by helicopter for emergency treatment.

Zelensky said the ship was carrying citizens of Azerbaijan and India. The captain of the ship was killed and the fate of another crew member is not yet known.

He said that Ukraine has repeatedly proposed specific measures to reduce tensions and ensure security in the Black Sea. Several third countries have also proposed in this regard. But Russia is choosing the path of terrorism and sinking civilian ships instead of normal shipping.

The Black Sea, as a vital commercial waterway, has been under increased security risk since Russia began a full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022.

Last month, Romania deployed two F-16 fighter jets to destroy a naval drone carrying explosives near the Neptune Deep gas platform in the Black Sea. According to the Romanian Defense Ministry, the country's navy has destroyed nine sea mines floating in the Black Sea since the start of the conflict.

NDTV reports