Did Russian drones reach NATO borders? A vessel carrying Ukrainians sank near Romania

A Russian connection to the Black Sea tragedy? Three sailors missing after the Khoryv sank

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23 Oct 2026

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скріншот відео румунської Морської адміністрації

The Comoros-flagged merchant vessel Khoryv suffered serious damage and sank off Romania’s Black Sea coast. There were 13 crew members on board, including 10 Ukrainian citizens and 3 Azerbaijani citizens. One sailor was found dead, another three were missing, and nine were rescued. Romanian services conducted a search and rescue operation in difficult weather conditions.

On October 23, 2026, the Maritime Coordination Centre of the Romanian Naval Authority received a distress signal from the vessel Khoryv. According to Romanian services, the ship was about 13 nautical miles (approximately 24 kilometres) from the port of Constanța, outside Romania’s territorial waters. After receiving the alert, vessels from the Romanian Agency for Saving Lives at Sea and units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were dispatched to the area. According to the Romanian authorities, the vessel sustained significant damage, capsized and was at risk of sinking.

Ten crew members were picked up by another merchant vessel nearby. Nine sailors were rescued alive, while the body of another crew member was found in the water. The fate of three people remained unknown, and rescuers continued searching for them.

The operation was hampered by strong winds, rough seas, rain and poor visibility. It was not possible to deploy a helicopter for the search because of adverse weather conditions.

Reports of a possible drone strike were carried by Romanian media. Romanian President Nicușor Dan linked the incident to increased Russian aggression and the escalation of the war against Ukraine. According to Reuters, the Romanian president said the incident was part of an escalation by Russia. However, in its report on the emergency, the Romanian Naval Authority did not officially identify the cause of the vessel’s damage. Therefore, the theory that Russian drones attacked the ship should be distinguished from the confirmed circumstances of the rescue operation. The final conclusions about the cause of the incident must be based on the findings of the competent authorities.

The vessel was about 24 kilometres from Constanța, meaning it was outside Romania’s territorial waters. These extend 12 nautical miles, or approximately 22.2 kilometres. Based on the distances reported, the incident occurred approximately 1.8 kilometres beyond the outer limit of the country’s territorial waters. This does not mean the incident took place in the territorial waters of Romania, a NATO member. At the same time, attacks on civilian shipping near the Black Sea coasts of Alliance members increase risks to international maritime transport.

According to Reuters and the Associated Press, a number of incidents involving commercial vessels and possible drone attacks were reported near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria in October 2026. Such events pose an additional threat to crews and shipping routes used to transport Ukrainian agricultural products.

When the first reports of the incident were published, rescuers were still searching for the three missing sailors. Officially determining the cause of the damage to the Khoryv remains important for establishing exactly what happened in the Black Sea.

The Khoryv was built in 1983 in Perm. For more than 30 years, the vessel belonged to the Russian operator Volgotrans. In 2017, it was purchased by a Ukrainian company legally registered in Greece. After the change of ownership, the vessel reportedly operated under the management of Ukrainian operators and sailed under the Ukrainian flag for a time, before later switching to the flag of the Comoros.