Ship carrying Azerbaijani and Ukrainian citizens sinks in Black Sea after drone strike

The Comoros-flagged cargo ship Horev, carrying Azerbaijani and Ukrainian citizens, sank in the Black Sea following a suspected drone strike.

According to Report, citing Digi24, the incident occurred approximately 13 nautical miles from the Romanian port of Constanța.

Romanian naval authorities said 13 people were on board: 10 Ukrainian citizens and three Azerbaijani citizens.

One crew member was killed, three went missing and nine were rescued, according to the available information. The nationality of the deceased has not yet been disclosed.

Preliminary reports indicate that a drone struck the vessel, triggering a fire on board before it sank. The exact cause of the incident has not yet been established.

The Maritime Coordination Centre received a distress signal from the vessel at around 10:00 local time, prompting Romanian authorities to launch a rescue operation.

Romania's naval authorities are coordinating search-and-rescue efforts, with the Coast Guard and the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea also taking part. Rescue vessels have been dispatched to the area to search for the three missing crew members.

According to Digi24, the vessel was outside Romania's territorial waters but close to the country's maritime boundary. The origin of the suspected drone has not yet been confirmed.