An ore/oil carrier carrying Ukrainian and Azerbaijani crew has been struck off the coast of Romania on Friday, October 23, killing one crew member and leaving three missing, officials said, in the latest attack on commercial shipping in the region that has raised fears of an escalation in Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Romanian naval authority said that a large-scale search and rescue mission was underway in the Black Sea after the ship sent a distress signal about 13 nautical miles off the coast of Constanta. The crew consisted of 10 Ukrainian citizens and three Azerbaijanis. Nine were rescued.
Romania’s ministry of internal affairs released footage of the ship showing it to have rolled inverted following its sinking, saying that nine crew members were rescued and were recovered by another commercial vessel in the area, alongside the recovery of the deceased sailor’s body. Search and rescue efforts continue for the three missing sailors.
Later, a Coast Guard ship took over the nine rescued people from the merchant ship that initially intervened to recover them.
Video released by Romanian authorities showed only a small part of the capsized ship still visible above the waves as it sank.
Romania launched a rescue operation after the vessel sent a distress signal about 10 am local time.
Romanian and European officials blamed Russia for the attack, which Romania’s president Nicușor Dan called “a new example of the tragic consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”
“Our thoughts are as well with the families of the victim and the injured,” he said. “European security is a shared responsibility and Romania will continue to work with the EU and Member States to strengthen it and to protect our citizens from the consequences of Russian aggression against Ukraine.”
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was “deeply alarmed by yet another Russian escalation in the Black Sea.”
“These reckless attacks target innocent lives and openly defy international law,” said von der Leyen, who expressed sympathy for the families of the dead and missing sailors. “My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the sailor that was killed. And with the families of the three crew members still missing.”
From his side, European Council president António Costa said such attacks off the coasts of EU member states in the Black Sea are unacceptable and must stop.
“Rescue teams continue search operations to identify and rescue the other three crew members,” the naval authority said, adding that it wasn’t possible to deploy a helicopter due to unfavorable weather conditions and low visibility.
All citizens of Azerbaijan who were aboard the vessel have been rescued. This was stated by the head of the press service department of the ministry of foreign affairs of Azerbaijan, responding to journalists’ questions.
According to him, on October 23, the ship with Azerbaijani citizens on board, was attacked by a drone at a distance of 13 nautical miles from the Romanian port of Constanta.
“According to the information we received,” he said, “all three of our citizens, who were part of the 13-member crew, were rescued. One of them, born in 1992, sustained minor injuries, underwent a medical examination, and was accommodated in a hotel.”
Video credit: Romania’s ministry of internal affairs
