Ukraine Accuses Russia of Sinking Turkish Ship in Black Sea

A Turkish-owned civilian vessel sank in Romanian waters of the Black Sea after a fire broke out on Monday, resulting in two deaths and one injury. Romanian authorities reported that the incident occurred around 11 a.m. local time (14:00 UTC) in Romania's exclusive economic zone, approximately 30 nautical miles south of Sfantul Gheorghe in Tulcea County. The ship, carrying grain, was reportedly struck by a drone, though the cause of the fire was not officially confirmed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of orchestrating the attack, describing it as a 'horrific strike' on a civilian vessel in neutral waters. The ship had Azerbaijani and Indian citizens on board, and the captain was among those killed. Zelenskyy criticized Russia's actions, stating that the country consistently chooses terror over safe maritime navigation, despite Ukraine's repeated proposals to de-escalate tensions in the Black Sea.

The Black Sea is a critical shipping route for Ukraine's grain exports, but security concerns have risen since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. There has been an increase in war-related objects found in the waters, particularly in Romanian, Bulgarian, and Turkish areas. This incident is the latest in a series of maritime security issues, following an August incident where a Romanian F-16 destroyed a marine drone near an offshore gas project.