Ukrainian Sailor Dies as Ship Khoryv Sinks Near Romania

A Ukrainian sailor has died after the commercial vessel Khoryv sank near the Romanian city of Constanța, and four more Ukrainians were taken to hospital. According to preliminary information from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, a drone strike may have caused the sinking.

What the Foreign Ministry says

The ministry's press service said the Khoryv, which was sailing from a Turkish port under the flag of the Comoros, went down near Constanța. There were 14 crew members on board. Preliminary information suggests a drone strike could have been the cause, the ministry said.

"The Embassy of Ukraine in Romania received information from the Romanian side about one dead sailor, a citizen of Ukraine," the ministry said. Two other Ukrainian crew members need no medical help, while four Ukrainians, including the captain, were taken to hospital.

"We are grateful to the Romanian services for rescuing Ukrainians. The Embassy continues to establish the circumstances of the incident and the whereabouts and condition of the rescued citizens, and is in contact with the competent Romanian authorities," the ministry added. The report was carried by European Pravda.

Mounting concern over Black Sea shipping

The incident comes amid Russian attacks on civilian merchant ships. The European Parliament has urged the EU to consider deploying a naval operation in the Black Sea. NATO has said the Alliance will step up surveillance in the Black Sea after the recent attacks on vessels, and Romania has proposed that NATO's Black Sea states set up a joint military command to be run on a rotating basis.

More on the war and its fallout is in our World section.