Zelenskyy says Russian drones sank ship in Romanian Black Sea waters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of launching a drone attack that sank a vessel in Romania's section of the Black Sea. Romanian authorities said two people died and 11 were rescued after a grain ship caught fire and went down on Monday.

Zelenskyy described the incident as a severe strike involving two Russian drones targeting a civilian ship owned by Turkiye that was transporting corn through neutral waters.

Romania's Ministry of Internal Affairs said its coastguard received an alert around 11am local time (08:00 GMT) reporting a fire aboard the vessel, which was located within the country's exclusive economic zone. The ministry did not specify what caused the blaze.

Reports indicate that citizens of Azerbaijan and India were aboard the ship when the fire broke out.

Romania is one of several NATO member states that have reported incidents this year linked to the escalating use of drones and missiles by both Russia and Ukraine. In May, a Russian drone struck a residential building. In June, a Ukrainian maritime drone exploded in the port city of Constanta. In July, Romania summoned Russia's ambassador after its air defence systems shot down three drones within a single week.