What happened
A Turkish-owned vessel carrying corn in the Black Sea was struck by a Russian attack, resulting in the death of the ship's captain and the rescue of 11 crew members. The attack, which involved two drones, occurred outside Romania's territorial waters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack as 'horrific' and stated that another sailor was unaccounted for. The rescued crew members were nationals of Azerbaijan and India.
Romania launched a rescue mission after a fire broke out on the ship, and two people were reported dead. Russia's defense ministry had earlier stated that it had struck two cargo vessels, but did not comment on this specific incident.
The attack is part of a larger conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with Russia pounding Ukrainian infrastructure in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries and ships in the Black Sea. Zelensky has proposed concrete steps to de-escalate the situation and ensure security in the Black Sea, but Russia has chosen to continue its attacks on civilian vessels.
