he Comoros-flagged cargo vessel KHORYV caught fire and capsized in the Black Sea approximately 13 nautical miles east of Constanța, Romania, on October 23, 2026, following a reported drone strike. Romanian authorities reported that nine crew members were rescued, one died and three were missing.
The Romanian Naval Authority said the maritime rescue coordination centre received the alert at around 10:00 a.m. local time. According to its account, the vessel carried 13 crew members: ten Ukrainian and three Azerbaijani nationals. A nearby commercial vessel recovered nine survivors and the body of one crew member. The survivors were subsequently transferred to the Romanian Coast Guard. Adverse weather and poor visibility prevented the initial deployment of a rescue helicopter. Romanian President Nicușor Dan described the incident as a drone attack.
Search efforts continued on October 24, involving the rescue vessel SAR ARTEMIS. Romania's maritime search-and-rescue agency, ARSVOM, said the operation was suspended at 6:04 p.m. that day because visibility had deteriorated.