Romania Blames Russia for Ship Attack Leaving 1 Dead and 3 Missing
Romania is conducting a search and rescue mission after another small cargo ship was attacked in the Black Sea. At the same time, Romania officials reversed earlier calls for investigations and directly blamed Russia for the latest incidents, while the EU and NATO also vowed to increase their support.
The Comoros-flagged OBO carrier (Oil-Bulk-Ore carrier) Khoryv (3,280 dwt) issued a distress call on Friday morning, October 23, while it was approximately 13 nautical miles east of Constanta, Romania. The ship was built in 1983 and is 119 meters (390 feet) in length with a crew of 13 aboard.
The vessel is listed as being Greek-owned and was sailing from Turkey to the Salina Canal in Romania, which provides access to the Danube. Reports highlight that Ukraine is again relying on this route for shipping after Russia attacks in the Black Sea.
Romania’s Interior Ministry said it was informed the vessel had suffered major damage and a fire after a drone strike. The ship later capsized. Another merchant vessel in the area was able to recover nine of the seafarers and the body of one additional person. The crew is reported to consist of 10 Ukrainians and three from Azerbaijan.
The Romanian Coast Guard took the nine survivors to shore while a search was launched for three missing crewmembers. The Romanian rescue service joined the search, and a helicopter was on standby, but weather conditions were not allowing aerial involvement.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan issued a statement saying, “This attack is a new example of the tragic consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. It is time for Russia to take seriously the peace initiatives of the United States and Europe, to accept the ceasefire proposals, and to end the war.” After the previous attacks, Romanian and Bulgarian officials had refused to identify the source of the attacks, saying it needed investigation.
The new prime minister of Romania, only installed in office days ago, also called the attack “unacceptable and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.” This came after the Ministry of Defense said on Thursday it was accelerating development of maritime surveillance capabilities, including mine countermeasures and effective countermeasures against drones.
Reports highlighted that it was at least the seventh attack on a merchant ship in the area between Bulgaria and Romania in the past weeks, with as many as 30 seafarers reported missing or killed. Last week, Romania responded to two attacks near the Sulina Canal, including the attack on the Wine Trade, which left seven crewmembers missing.
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“These reckless attacks target innocent lives and openly defy international law,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The European Parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly adopted a resolution (432 votes in favor, 52 against, and 88 abstentions) calling for action. It recommended the EU consider deploying a naval operation in the Black Sea. It was critical of Bulgaria’s “ambiguous handling of the Russian threat,” saying it should take a firmer stance and also stop delaying its participation in NATO’s anti-drone initiative. Furthermore, it also called for NATO to consider a Black Sea initiative while saying EU countries, in cooperation with NATO, needed to support Bulgaria and Romania in early detection and tracking of drones threatening Black Sea shipping. NATO earlier this week resolved to deploy additional assets to the Black Sea.
