Grain ship Royad Mammadov sinks in the Black Sea

On October 5, 2026, the Turkish-owned grain vessel Royad Mammadov caught fire and subsequently sank in neutral waters off the coast of Romania. The ship was transporting corn from Ukraine to Italy when it became involved in a maritime incident near offshore energy installations. According to Romanian authorities, 11 crew members were rescued, while two fatalities were confirmed. The nationality of the crew included citizens from Azerbaijan and India.

While Romanian officials have not officially confirmed the cause of the fire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy explicitly attributed the sinking to an attack by two Russian drones. Sources report conflicting details regarding the casualties: while some accounts suggest the ship's captain was among the deceased, others indicate a total of two deaths and varying numbers of injured personnel. The incident occurred outside Romanian territorial waters, triggering search and rescue operations by the Romanian Coast Guard and naval authorities.

This event takes place amid rising concerns regarding maritime security in the Black Sea, where NATO-member countries like Romania have frequently encountered drone incidents linked to the ongoing conflict. The incident follows previous reports of maritime drone activity in the region, including an event in August involving a sea drone. At the time of reporting, the investigation into the specific cause of the disaster is ongoing, and no official statement has been issued by Russian authorities.