Turkish vessel struck by a drone in the Black Sea sinks: 11 sailors rescued / Two crew members are dead

The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that 11 crew members of the Turkish vessel Royad Mammadov, which was hit by a drone, were rescued, while two people died. The vessel sank.

“The structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are carrying out a complex mission to rescue the crew of a vessel that sank in the Black Sea. Eleven crew members were rescued. Two deceased persons were also identified. The helicopter of the General Aviation Inspectorate airlifted the injured people by winch so that they could receive emergency medical assistance,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs stated.

On 05.10.2026, around 11:00, border police officers from the Coast Guard were informed by MRCC Constanța that a fire had broken out aboard a commercial vessel located in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, approximately 30 nautical miles south of the town of Sfântu Gheorghe.MRCC Constanța launched a search and rescue operation for the people in danger at sea, with the Coast Guard vessel designated as the on-site coordinator of the search and rescue activities.Border police officers, together with their colleagues from the General Aviation Inspectorate, immediately took action to search for and rescue the crew members.