Russian drones attack Turkish vessel in Black Sea killing captain
Russian forces attacked a civilian Turkish vessel in the neutral waters of the Black Sea with two drones, resulting in the death of the ship's captain. The cargo ship, named Royad Mammadov, was carrying corn and was en route from the Ukrainian port of Izmail to Italy when the incident occurred. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that citizens of Azerbaijan and India were on board, with eleven crew members rescued and one other person's fate still undetermined.
The attack took place around 11:00 in the Romanian economic zone, approximately 56 km off the Romanian coast, near the Danube Delta. A fire broke out on board, and the injured were evacuated by helicopter. Rear Admiral Sorin Learski stated that, according to preliminary information, the ship's captain had died and the cook was considered missing.
The operation involved the SAR vessels Apollo, Artemis, and Ares, a Coast Guard ship, and a Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs helicopter. Zelenskyy emphasized that attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea threaten the safety of shipping and food exports, which are critically important for the Ukrainian economy.
Zelenskyy also noted that Ukraine had repeatedly proposed concrete steps for de-escalation and ensuring security in the Black Sea, but Russia continues to attack civilian shipping. He called for increased pressure on Moscow to restore global food security, highlighting that Russia attacked a civilian vessel flying the Liberian flag in a port in the Odesa region on October 3, resulting in the death of a sailor-motorman.