A grain carrier sank after being struck by a drone in the Black Sea
The grain carrier Royad Mammadov sank in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania; according to preliminary reports, it was struck by a drone. There were 13 crew members on board: 11 were rescued, and two died. The vessel was approximately 20 nautical miles off the Romanian coast and near the Pescăruș offshore platform.
The incident occurred on the morning of October 5 in the Black Sea. The grain carrier Royad Mammadov was in the vicinity of the Pescăruș offshore platform, which is operated by the Romanian energy company OMV Petrom. According to preliminary reports from Romanian media, the ship may have been struck by a drone. A fire then broke out on board. The flames engulfed the ship, and it subsequently sank.
Romanian emergency services received a distress call around 10:37 a.m. Rescue vessels were immediately dispatched to the scene. Ships from the Romanian Agency for the Safety of Human Life at Sea and representatives of the coast guard were operating in the area. Initially, the situation was even more serious—all 13 crew members were considered missing. Rescuers began searching for people at sea.
The operation eventually yielded results. Eleven sailors were rescued. Two other crew members were found dead. Thus, all 13 people who were on board were accounted for.
The Royad Mammadov itself sank. The ship was carrying grain and was en route from the Ukrainian port of Izmail to Italy. According to Romanian media reports, its final destination was to be the port of Ravenna.
Where exactly did this happen?
The incident occurred approximately 20 nautical miles off the Romanian coast. The vessel was located about 9 nautical miles southeast of the Pescăruș platform. This is an area near the large Romanian energy project Neptun Deep. Pescăruș is one of the offshore platforms in this area and is associated with OMV Petrom’s operations.
Importantly, the incident occurred outside Romania’s territorial waters. For this reason, the rescue operation took place on the high seas, but Romanian authorities nevertheless took on a significant portion of the work to rescue the crew.
What is known about the vessel
The Royad Mammadov is a cargo ship that was transporting grain. It was affiliated with a Turkish operator but flew the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Before the incident, the ship was in Izmail, Ukraine, after which it set sail for Italy. That is why the incident attracted attention not only from Romania. The ship was carrying Ukrainian grain and was traveling from a Ukrainian port across the Black Sea to Europe.
After receiving a report of the emergency, Romanian authorities dispatched several rescue vessels to the area. The coast guard also joined the operation. Initially, the main objective was to locate all crew members, and only then to assess the situation with the sunken vessel.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation
Despite reports of a drone strike, Romanian authorities have not yet determined the definitive cause of the fire and the ship’s sinking. Reuters notes that the Romanian Maritime Administration confirmed the fire and sinking but did not specify the exact cause of the blaze. Reports of a possible drone strike came from local media.
Therefore, it is currently impossible to say with certainty who might have launched the drone or whether the strike was a deliberate attack. These circumstances will be determined during the ongoing investigation. The incident occurred near a maritime gas infrastructure facility that is important to Romania. At the same time, there are no reports of damage to the Pescăruș platform itself.
The rescue operation resulted in the rescue of 11 crew members. Two people died, and the grain carrier sank completely. Romanian authorities are continuing to investigate all the circumstances of the incident and the causes of the fire that broke out on the vessel.
