The Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv sank in the Black Sea on October 23, 2026, approximately 13 nautical miles east of the Romanian port of Constanța following a reported drone strike.
There were 13 crew members on board — 10 Ukrainian nationals and three Azerbaijani nationals, according to Romanian maritime authorities.
At around 10:00 local time, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Constanța received a distress call from the vessel.
A fire had broken out on board, Khoryv had suffered serious damage and developed a heavy list, creating an immediate risk of sinking.
Rescue vessels from Romania’s Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea, ARSVOM, the Coast Guard and other emergency services were dispatched to the scene.
Poor weather and limited visibility reportedly prevented the use of a rescue helicopter.
Rescuers were able to find nine crew members alive.
The body of another seafarer was recovered from the water.
Three crew members remain missing, and search-and-rescue operations continued in difficult weather conditions.
The deceased crew member was a Ukrainian national.
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed that all three Azerbaijani nationals on board Khoryv had been rescued.
One of them suffered minor injuries, underwent medical checks and was later accommodated in a hotel.
According to Ukrainian officials, several rescued Ukrainian seafarers, including the vessel’s captain, were taken to hospital.
Romanian authorities initially reported a fire and severe damage to the ship, but Romanian President Nicușor Dan later said that Khoryv had been struck by a drone.
He linked the incident to the continuing escalation of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The incident occurred outside Romanian territorial waters, but only around 24 kilometres from the Romanian coastline.
Khoryv later capsized and sank as a result of the damage.
According to vessel-tracking data, the ship had been sailing from the Turkish port of Ereğli toward Sulina in Romania.
Khoryv was a merchant vessel built more than 40 years ago and is classified in several databases as an ore/oil carrier.
The incident comes amid worsening security conditions for commercial shipping in the western Black Sea.
In recent weeks, several merchant vessels have been struck or damaged in areas close to the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts.
Against this backdrop, NATO has announced plans to strengthen surveillance in the Black Sea, including additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and unmanned assets.
Romania has also said it is accelerating efforts to improve its own capabilities for detecting and countering sea mines and drones.
The loss of Khoryv is one of the most serious recent incidents involving a civilian merchant vessel near the Romanian coast: one seafarer was killed, three remain missing and nine crew members were rescued.
