Berliner Tageblatt - Two dead after ship catches fire, sinks in Black Sea

The cause of the fire was not given and authorities did not answer questions on whether a drone was involved. The Black Sea has become an increasing battlefield for drone attacks in the Russia-Ukraine war.

A Romanian naval spokesperson named the ship as the 139 metre (455 feet) long Royad Mammadov and the interior ministry said it sank about 30 nautical miles south of the fishing port of Sfantu Gheorghe.

"At around 11:00, Coast Guard border police officers were informed that a fire had broken out on board a commercial vessel located within Romania's exclusive economic zone," the ministry said in a statement.

"Eleven crew members have been rescued. Two deceased persons have also been identified," it added.

Asked by AFP if the vessel was possibly hit by a drone, the defence ministry did not reply.

Drone activity has become increasingly frequent across eastern European countries as Ukraine, which borders NATO member Romania, fights off a Russian invasion launched in 2022. Both countries increasingly rely on drone warfare.

Turkey has expressed concern over the attacks on Black Sea shipping and Turkish seafarers have staged protests over deaths suffered in the attacks.

The injured from the Royad Mammadov were rescued by a helicopter, authorities said.

"Three of the crew members have been injured, eight are in good condition," Irina Puscasu, spokesperson for the Romanian Naval Authority, told AFP.

Puscasu named the ship as the Royad Mammadov, while local media reported it was a Turkish cargo vessel.

- Drone warfare -

War-related objects found in the Black Sea have more than doubled in six months amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, maritime risk expert Ambrey said last month in a report.

At least a third of them carried live payloads. The objects include unexploded ordnance, drones and other unmanned vehicles found washed ashore or floating at sea, it said.

The increase has been concentrated in Romanian, Bulgarian and Turkish waters, with the trend expected to continue.

In August, a Romanian F-16 fighter jet destroyed a marine drone near an offshore gas project in the Black Sea, with Romanian President Nicusor Dan blaming Russia for the incident.

In June, a Ukrainian maritime drone exploded in Romania's Black Sea port of Constanta without causing casualties.

Kyiv said the drone had been knocked off course by Russian electronic interference.

G.Schulte--BTB