Cargo Ship With 12 Crew Sinks In Black Sea Off Romania Following Suspected Drone Attack

A cargo ship, the Progress IV, caught fire and later sank off Romania on the evening of Thursday after likely being struck by a drone; however, the exact cause is being investigated, said President of Romania Nicusor Dan.

The vessel was sailing under the flag of the Dominican Republic in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, according to Romania’s Border Police officers. It was carrying sugar and was en route to Turkiye.

Dan spoke about the sinking in a press conference in Moldova, urging reporters to refrain from any speculation without evidence. He added that there would be a probe to establish how and why it sank.

He revealed that Romania had reached out to Ukraine, requesting Kyiv to stop attacks on tankers carrying oil and gas from the Russian Port of Novorossiysk to Romanian facilities.

All 12 crew members, 8 from Ukraine and 4 from Azerbaijan, were safely rescued after the Coast Guard immediately arrived at the site to help. One crew member was seriously injured, according to the authorities.

Sources suggest that two rescue vessels arrived at the scene 20 minutes after a distress call was sent.

Another ship from the Border Police of Romania also responded, and a commercial vessel sailing nearby also rushed to assist.

The Border Police saved 10 crew members while the remaining 2 were saved by the ship Mohamed B, which was nearby.

Progress IV was reported to have arrived from Sulina, which vessels usually report when they enter Ukraine to load grain at the ports on the Danube. The ship was constructed in 2005 and was 122 metres long.

Latest reports suggest that two fighter planes were sent to the area to investigate the sinking, and they discovered debris from a strange object close to Snake Island.

Shipping in the Black Sea has become dangerous as critical infrastructure, port strikes and ship attacks have intensified in the last few months as the Russia-Ukraine war, which began after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, continues.