Romania blames Russia after drone sinks ship in the Black Sea
Romania blames Russia after a drone strike sank the cargo ship Khoryv off Constanta, killing one sailor and leaving three missing. Moscow has not commented.
Romania has blamed Russia for a drone strike that sank a cargo ship off its Black Sea coast, killing one crew member and leaving three others missing, in the latest escalation of attacks on commercial shipping near NATO waters.
The Comoros-flagged vessel Khoryv, with a crew of 13 Ukrainian and Azeri sailors, was struck on Friday about 13 nautical miles (24km) off the port of Constanta, just outside Romania's territorial waters, according to reports compiled by Al Jazeera from AFP, Anadolu, AP and Reuters.
It is the latest in a surge of drone attacks on shipping off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. At least seven cargo ships have been hit and 30 sailors reported killed or missing over the past two weeks, raising fears of escalation in Russia's war against Ukraine.
Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria have called on NATO to fast-track additional surveillance assets to protect commercial shipping. The alliance said on Tuesday it would send more maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the Black Sea.
Romanian and European officials have blamed Russia for the attack. Moscow has previously denied responsibility for deadly drone strikes in the region and did not immediately comment publicly on Friday's sinking.
The incident came after Romanian warplanes shot down two latest-generation Russian drones over Romanian waters on Saturday, and Romania summoned Russia's envoy over the incursions.
Source: Al Jazeera English — TrendWire reports stories in its own words; facts should be confirmed against the original source.