Overview
- Romanian authorities said a fire aboard the Royad Mammadov led the 139‑metre vessel to sink in Romania’s exclusive economic zone and that two crew members were found dead while 11 were rescued.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said two Russian drones struck the ship, but Romanian officials have not confirmed a cause and Russia has given no clear admission.
- The Indian Embassy reported three Indian nationals were on board, one was treated for injuries and later all three were reported safe, and crew from multiple countries were part of rescue and medical evacuations.
- Rescue teams used helicopters to airlift the injured and recover survivors from liferafts, and the incident has prompted new diplomatic checks by Turkey, India and Romania over crew safety and vessel routes.
- The attack follows a trend of low‑cost aerial and maritime weapons in the Russia‑Ukraine war that have damaged ships and port infrastructure, increased verification challenges at sea and raised fears of spillover that could disrupt grain shipments.