A Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying grain from a Ukrainian port has been attacked by at least one threat in the Black Sea and then sunk after being engulfed by fire. Two crew members have lost their lives, while 11 others have been saved and one person is still missing.
According to Romanian authorities, quoted by Euronews Romania, the incident occurred on Monday within Romania’s exclusive economic zone, about 20 miles from the coast, and approximately 9 nautical miles from the Pescüru gas platform, transmits Telegrafi.
The ship was identified as the Turkish company MG Shipping 5, owned by Royad Mammadov while sailing under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis. She had appeared about three hours before the attack by the Ukrainian port of Izzali, in the Odessa region, and was traveling toward Ravenna in Italy.
Following explosions and fire on board, Romanian authorities conducted a wide rescue operation with ships and helicopters. 11 crew members were taken out alive, while another continues to be sought.
Three sailors, aged 22 to 50, were transported by helicopter to the city hospital in Constanta. They had suffered numerous traumas, but they were stable and conscious.
Adrian Mihalcioiu, head of Romania’s Union of Free Sailors, told Euronews Romania that, given the information he received, the ship was attacked with air and sead fears.
He described Royad Mammadov as a merchant ship that had nothing to do with war.
Romanian authorities have not yet officially identified the author of the attack. However, Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky blamed Russia, labeling the incident a horror attack.
Zelensky said two Russian fears had hit a civilian ship carrying corn in neutral waters. According to him, citizens of Azerbaijan and India were also on board.
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Ukraine has repeatedly proposed concrete steps for de-progressing the situation and ensuring security in the Black Sea. There have also been respective proposals from third countries, Zelensky wrote on the X platform.
Russia constantly chooses terror and shipwreck instead of normal sea navigation. Pressure is needed to restore global food safety, he added.
Turkey, a NATO member and owner of the ship, has repeatedly sought from all sides involved in the war to ensure sea transport security on the Black Sea, including navigation towards the Bosphorus Strait.
The latest incident comes after a series of fearful incidents near Romanian ports in the Black Sea and Romania’s airspace violations due to Russian fears over recent months.
In August, a fighter plane destroyed a maritime threat filled with explosives near the largest offshore gas project in Europe. Several hours earlier, another drone had entered Romanian airspace and collapsed near the Ukrainian border.
Romanian President Nicuşor Dan then blamed Russia for the incident and condemned what he described as escalation of irresponsible genocides from Moscow.
The attack on Royad Mammadov adds concerns about the safety of civilian ships and trade corridors on the Black Sea, one of the main routes for the export of Ukrainian wheat. /Telegraphy/