Another vessel was hit by drones in the Black Sea and is at risk of sinking / One person has died, while three others are reported missing - UPDATE

A foreign-flagged vessel is on the verge of sinking on Friday in the Black Sea after reportedly being hit by drones 13 miles from Constanța, reports Digi24 and Ziua de Constanța.

The Romanian Customs Authority specified in a press release that the Maritime Coordination Center within the Romanian Naval Authority was alerted today, around 10:00 a.m., regarding the vessel “Khoryv,” which was in distress outside Romania’s territorial waters, at a distance of 13 nautical miles abeam of Constanța.

 The vessel had a crew of 13: 10 Ukrainian citizens and 3 Azerbaijani citizens.

Nine people aboard the vessel attacked in the Black Sea were reportedly rescued by another commercial vessel, while one sailor was reportedly found dead, and three crew members are missing.

According to sources cited by Ziua de Constanța, the vessel was reportedly sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands.

The number of incidents involving vessels hit by drones in the Black Sea has increased recently. Last Thursday morning, the Wine Trader sank 13 nautical miles from Sulina after being hit by three drones. This came just a few hours after, also near Sulina, a fire broke out aboard a commercial vessel flying the flag of the Comoros Islands. 

President Nicușor Dan condemned the recent incidents in the Black Sea and stressed that they represent attempts by Russia to destabilize societies and reduce the support provided to Ukraine.