1 dead, 3 missing after drone strike sinks ship off Romania, president says

One sailor died and three remain missing after a drone strike sank a commercial vessel near Romania’s territorial waters Friday, President Nicusor Dan said.

“This attack is another example of the tragic consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” he wrote on US social media platform Facebook.

Nine crew members were rescued from the Comoros-flagged Khoryv, which was struck about 24 kilometers (13 nautical miles) east of the Romanian port city of Constanta, Digi24 reported.

The vessel was outside Romania’s territorial waters when the incident occurred, according to the report.

Romanian authorities launched a search-and-rescue operation after receiving a distress signal from the vessel and dispatched rescue ships to the scene.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reacted to the incident on US social media company X.

"Deeply alarmed by yet another Russian escalation in the Black Sea. A civilian vessel carrying Ukrainian and Azerbaijani crew has been struck off the coast of Romania," von der Leyen wrote

"These reckless attacks target innocent lives and openly defy international law," she added.

Russian officials had not publicly commented on the incident at the time of publication.