Turkish cargo ship Royad Mammadov catches fire off Romanian coast

On October 5, 2026, the Turkish-flagged grain carrier Royad Mammadov caught fire and subsequently sank in the Black Sea while operating outside of Romanian territorial waters. The incident, reported to the Romanian Naval Authority around 11:00 local time, resulted in two confirmed fatalities and 11 injuries among the crew members.

Rescue operations involved the Romanian Coast Guard, naval vessels, and a helicopter tasked with evacuating the injured. While international reports and local media outlets such as Digi24 suggest the vessel may have been struck by one or two drones, Romanian officials have yet to officially confirm the cause of the fire or the alleged drone strike.

This incident occurs amid ongoing regional security concerns regarding unauthorized drone activity near NATO member states, particularly in areas near Russian operations. The vessel was reportedly transporting grain from Ukraine to Italy when the event took place near offshore oil infrastructure. Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation, as previous maritime security incidents in the Black Sea have heightened tensions in the region.