Romania blames Russia for ship attack in the Black Sea
Romanian President Nicusor Dan blamed Russia for a drone strike that sank the merchant ship Khoryv in the Black Sea on Friday morning, killing at least one sailor.
The attack occurred near Romanian territorial waters and involved 13 Ukrainian and Azeri crew members. Nine crew members have been rescued, while three remain missing following the incident.
Rising attacks
The Khoryv attack marks the fourth merchant vessel to be targeted off Romania's coast this month. Two weeks prior, two merchant vessels were set ablaze in the western Black Sea, a vital shipping corridor for Ukraine.
Bulgaria, also a NATO member, has expressed similar concerns about Russian strikes approaching its exclusive economic zone. Both countries have called on NATO to enhance protection for commercial shipping in the region.
NATO response
The Black Sea has become another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine.
NATO announced this week it would deploy additional maritime patrol aircraft and radar systems to the Black Sea, though it has not formally blamed any country for the attacks. The incidents have resulted in at least 23 sailors dead or missing in the Black Sea over recent weeks.
Related
