Fatalities reported in Black Sea attack

Volodymyr Zelensky strongly condemned the attack on a Black Sea grain ship. The Ukrainian president said the vessel came under fire from two drones, killing the captain and leaving one sailor unaccounted for for a time. Romanian authorities later announced that 11 crew members had been rescued and that two people were confirmed dead.

According to Romania's Interior Ministry, the report of a fire aboard the merchant vessel came in at around 11:00 a.m. local time. The ministry said the incident took place outside Romanian territorial waters but within the country's exclusive economic zone, about 30 nautical miles south of Sfantu Gheorghe Port. It added that the ship, identified as Royad Mammadov, later sank.

Condition of the ship and rescue efforts

Cargo and crew details

Zelensky said the targeted ship was sailing in international waters, carrying corn, and had Turkish-linked ownership. The 11 crew members rescued were reported to be sailors from Azerbaijan and India.

  • Ship name: Royad Mammadov
  • Cargo: Corn
  • Location: Off Sfantu Gheorghe
  • People rescued: 11

Russia's response and Kyiv's message

Moscow did not issue a direct statement on the incident. However, Russia's Defense Ministry had previously said it struck two cargo ships. Zelensky said he had already put forward concrete proposals to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea and ease tensions, and called on the international community to step up pressure to protect global food security.

Attack seen as part of wider tensions

Russia has recently stepped up attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure, saying they are retaliation for Kyiv's strikes on Russian oil refineries and ships in the Black Sea. Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday that nationwide attacks would intensify after Zelensky said Ukraine would increase its refinery strikes.

Ukraine argues that its attacks on energy infrastructure are meant to weaken the resources funding Russia's full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022. Russian President Vladimir Putin also acknowledged last week that Ukraine's refinery strikes were having an effect and were costing the Russian economy about 1%.