President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said Russian drones struck a cargo ship carrying corn in Romania’s part of the Black Sea on Monday. The ship caught fire and sank, and two people died.

Romania’s Naval Authority named the vessel as the Royad Mammadov, a general cargo ship that MarineTraffic lists as registered in Saint Kitts and Nevis. It went down in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, about 30 nautical miles, or 55 kilometers, south of Sfantul Gheorghe in Tulcea County, [according to The Associated Press](<https://www.cp24.com/news/world/2026/10/05/zelenskyy-says-russian-drones-hit-a-vessel-carrying-corn-in-black-sea-2-dead/>). Romania is a NATO member.

“Eleven crew members have been rescued. Two deceased individuals have also been located,” Romania’s Interior Ministry said. The ministry didn’t say what started the fire. Romanian authorities have confirmed only that the ship burned, and they have not said who, if anyone, was responsible.

Mr. Zelensky, writing on X, called it “a horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel.” He said the ship was Turkish-owned and had Azerbaijani and Indian nationals on board. Romanian television also described the ship as Turkish. Romanian authorities did not confirm that.

“Ukraine has repeatedly proposed concrete steps to de-escalate the situation and ensure security in the Black Sea,” Mr. Zelensky wrote. “But Russia consistently chooses terror and sinking civilian vessels instead of normal maritime navigation.”

His account of the toll didn’t fully match Romania’s. Mr. Zelensky said the captain was among the dead and that the fate of one crew member was still unclear. He also described the spot as neutral waters, though it lies inside Romania’s economic zone.

Romania’s Coast Guard was alerted around 11 a.m. local time, The AP reported. Some of the injured were lifted off by helicopter winch and taken for treatment. The ship had left Izmail, a Ukrainian port on the Danube, and was headed for Italy, according to MarineTraffic data.

Romanian television placed the strike southeast of an offshore oil platform. Officials did not confirm that either.

Russia did not immediately comment.

If Mr. Zelensky’s account holds up, the sinking would be the latest in a run of suspected Russian incursions along NATO’s eastern flank, [Al Jazeera reported](<https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/5/ukraine-says-russian-drone-attack-sinks-ship-in-romanian-waters>). It comes days after NATO officials said a Russian sabotage campaign had failed to sway the alliance’s members. Attacks at sea have already cut Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports by 60%.

Romania has dealt with stray weapons off its coast before. In August, it scrambled two F-16s to destroy a naval drone loaded with explosives near the Neptun Deep gas platform. Its navy has destroyed nine drifting sea mines since the war began, The AP reported.