'Drone' hits cargo ship in the Black Sea leaving more than a dozen missing

Two sailors are dead after a suspected drone hit a cargo ship loaded with grain in the Black Sea .

The Royad Mammadov, which had just left the port of Izmail, Ukraine , was struck while sailing to Ravenna, Italy .

Multiple rescue ships were sent to assist in saving those on board, but the ship sank hours after being hit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky identified the drones as belonging to Russia, adding: ‘[The ship] was carrying corn and belonged to Türkiye. On board were citizens of Azerbaijan and India.

‘As of now, regrettably, it is known that the ship’s captain has been killed… Eleven crew members were rescued, one of them injured.’

He added: ‘Russia consistently chooses terror and the sinking of civilian vessels instead of normal shipping. Pressure is needed to restore global food security. And everyone who is truly interested in this must help.’

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The Romanian Agency for Lifesaving at Sea said: ‘On Monday, 05.10.2026, at 10:37, the Maritime Coordination Center (MRCC) requested the intervention of the Romanian Agency for Lifesaving at Sea (ARSVOM) to carry out a rescue mission to the ship ROYAD MAMMADOV, located in the platform area.’

The ‘platform’ referenced is the Pescăruş Platform, an offshore oil and gas platform in the Black Sea. The ship was struck around 9 nautical miles from the oil platform.

Sources told PRO TV News that the ship was struck by ‘two or three’ drones, but this has not yet been confirmed.

Romania’s Ministry of the Interior said in a statement: ‘The structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are carrying out a complex mission to rescue the crew of a ship that sank in the Black Sea.

‘Eleven crew members have been rescued. Two deceased persons have also been identified. The helicopter of the General Aviation Inspectorate has taken over, using winches, the injured persons in order to provide emergency medical assistance.

‘The mission is in motion, with the Coast Guard ships and the General Aviation Inspectorate helicopter carrying out specific activities.’

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