Flames tore through a commercial ship in the Black Sea before it went under — and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russian drones were to blame.
Two people were killed and 11 crew members were pulled to safety, Romanian authorities reported.
Posting on social media, Mr Zelensky called it “a horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel” in neutral waters.
He said the ship was owned in Turkey and was transporting corn. Russia did not immediately respond to the allegation.
Romania’s interior ministry said the coast guard received the first alert at about 11am local time.
The vessel was located in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, roughly 30 nautical miles (1.8km) south of Sfantul Gheorghe in Tulcea County.
A horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel in neutral waters carrying corn and owned by Türkiye. Azerbaijani and Indian citizens were on board. As of now, unfortunately, we know that the ship’s captain was killed. My condolences. The fate of one other person is still being established. Eleven crew members were rescued, one of them injured. Ukraine has repeatedly proposed concrete steps to de-escalate the situation and ensure security in the Black Sea. There have also been relevant proposals from third countries. But Russia consistently chooses terror and sinking civilian vessels instead of normal maritime navigation. Pressure is needed to restore global food security. And everyone who is genuinely interested in this must help.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 5, 2026
While the ministry confirmed the fire, it did not state what caused it. Romanian television outlets said a Turkish ship carrying grain had been hit by a drone southeast of a Black Sea oil platform, but officials did not verify those accounts.
Romania’s Naval Authority said the incident centred on a blaze aboard a vessel identified as the Royad Mammadov.
MarineTraffic, a shipping-tracking website, lists the general cargo ship under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The site also shows the vessel departing from Ukraine’s port of Izmail with Italy as its destination.
“Eleven crew members have been rescued. Two deceased individuals have also been located,” the interior ministry said, noting that a helicopter used a winch to lift injured people to ensure they received emergency medical treatment.
Mr Zelensky said the crew included Azerbaijani and Indian citizens. He added that the captain had been killed and that the status of one other person remained unclear.
“Ukraine has repeatedly proposed concrete steps to de-escalate the situation and ensure security in the Black Sea. There have also been relevant proposals from third countries,” he said.
“But Russia consistently chooses terror and sinking civilian vessels instead of normal maritime navigation.”
The Black Sea remains a crucial artery for global trade, and shipping security has become increasingly fraught since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In August, Romania scrambled two F-16 fighter jets to destroy a naval drone carrying explosives after it was detected near the Neptun Deep gas platform.
Since the war began, Romania’s Ministry of National Defence says the navy has destroyed nine drifting sea mines in the Black Sea.
