Black Sea Commercial Vessel Sinks After Catching Fire, Killing 2; Zelenskyy Calls It "Russia's Horrific Drone Attack"

[Financial News] A commercial vessel caught fire and sank in Romania's Black Sea exclusive economic zone (EEZ), killing two people. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly condemned the incident as a Russian drone attack targeting a civilian vessel.
According to foreign media outlets, including The Associated Press (AP), the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs said a commercial vessel caught fire at around 11 a.m. on the 5th in waters about 30 nautical miles (approximately 55 kilometers) south of Sfântu Gheorghe in southeastern Tulcea County.
The accident occurred in Romania's EEZ. Romania's coast guard, which responded after receiving the report, rescued 11 crew members, but two were found dead. The vessel eventually sank into the sea before the fire could be extinguished.
Romanian authorities have not officially disclosed the exact cause of the fire. However, local media reported that the vessel was a Turkish ship carrying grain and had been attacked by drones in the Black Sea.
Zelenskyy also wrote on his X account, formerly Twitter, that "Two Russian drones carried out a horrific attack on a Turkish-owned civilian vessel carrying corn in neutral waters," and claimed, "The captain was killed in the attack." The vessel was reportedly carrying crew members from Azerbaijan and India.
He said, "Ukraine has repeatedly proposed concrete measures to ease tensions in the Black Sea and ensure safety, but instead of normal navigation, Russia is choosing terrorism and the sinking of civilian vessels," adding, "Pressure from the international community is needed to restore global food security."
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, drone activity and the threat of armed clashes involving both sides have steadily intensified across the Black Sea region, including along the border between North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member Romania and Ukraine. 

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