In the Black Sea waters near the Romanian coast, a civilian merchant vessel flying the Turkish flag, the Royad Mammadov, was attacked by a drone. The ship was transporting a cargo of Ukrainian grain from the Danube port of Izmail to Italy. The incident has caused serious resonance in the region, threatening the safety of navigation in the so-called grain corridor and the safety of vessel crews involved in food supplies.
Rescue Operation Progress
Immediately after receiving the distress signal, search-and-rescue vessels SAR Apollo and SAR Ares of the Romanian Naval Forces were dispatched to the incident area, located southeast of the Pescarus oil drilling platform. The large-scale operation was also joined by the Coast Guard and a special helicopter from the General Aviation Inspectorate, which used onboard winches to evacuate the most injured sailors for emergency medical care in specialized clinics.Contradictory Data
Data regarding the scale of damage and the fate of the crew initially came in conflicting reports. Media reports initially claimed two dead sailors and numerous casualties. However, the Romanian Naval Authority later officially denied this information, clarifying that three wounded crew members were airlifted to land, eight sailors in good condition were picked up by rescue vessels, and the search for another missing crew member continues. There were also varying reports regarding the extent of the ship's damage: some sources stated it suffered severe damage and caught fire, while others reported it sank.Context and Market Consequences
This incident is not an isolated case of escalating tensions on Black Sea routes. Previously, attacks on civilian vessels flying the flags of Liberia and Tanzania in ports of the Odesa region were recorded, which also resulted in casualties and injuries. Experts note that such strikes on logistics arteries pose a threat to global food security and could trigger a new round of price increases for grain crops on world markets.
