A drone attack on the MARIAM M near Ukraine's Reni Port resulted in one captain's death and three crew injuries, linked to a Turkish company.
The Tanzanian-flagged vessel MARIAM M has reportedly come under drone attack while advancing towards Ukraine's Reni Port in the Bystroe passage area. Ukrainian authorities have announced that one ship captain was killed and three crew members were injured. Maritime databases link the vessel to Turkey-based UBSM companies.
September 17, 2026 — News text prepared for DenizHaber
A new attack concerning commercial ship traffic in the northwestern Black Sea, particularly in the Danube delta, has occurred. The Ukrainian Ministry of Reconstruction, Infrastructure, and Transport announced on September 17 that a Tanzanian-flagged civilian vessel heading to one of Ukraine's ports was struck by a Russian drone. According to the ministry, the captain of the vessel lost his life, and three crew members were injured. Investigations regarding the technical condition of the ship are ongoing.
The ministry's statement did not provide the name of the vessel or the exact coordinates of the attack. However, Odesa-based Dumskaya identified the attacked vessel as MARIAM M with IMO number 9167667. The publication reported that the ship was heading to Reni Port to load wheat and that the attack occurred in the Danube delta. According to the report, the drone hit the superstructure, causing a fire on the bridge. These details have not yet been confirmed by an official incident investigation report that has been published.
Records supporting the vessel's connection to Turkey are also available. The MagicPort database lists UBSM SHIPPING CO as the registered owner and commercial manager of MARIAM M. The same platform lists the company as based in Mersin. The Marine MAN ship profile contains information indicating UBSM MANAGEMENT MARITIME LTD, Turkey. Due to the different spellings of the company titles in the sources, the current ownership and management structure needs to be clarified with the company or flag state registry.
According to public ship records, MARIAM M is a general cargo ship registered under the Tanzanian flag. VesselFinder lists the year of construction as 1997, with a length of 96.70 meters, a width of 17.40 meters, a gross tonnage of 4,801 GT, and a deadweight of 8,442 tons. The ship's MMSI number is 677028200.
The exact location of the attack has not yet been clarified. The incident's connection to the Bystroe passage is mentioned in local and sectoral news. Ukrainian Shipping Magazine reported, based on initial information from the Egyptian press, that the vessel's location was 'Sulina Canal/Bystre mouth area.' This expression does not provide a specific attack point. Therefore, it cannot be definitively determined from the existing information whether the vessel was struck inside the canal, in the approach area, or in open sea.
Bystroe — referred to as Bystre in Ukrainian sources — is part of the Ukrainian waterway connection between the Danube and the Black Sea. Sulina in Romania is a separate transit route. Both routes play a role in the maritime connection of Danube ports. Therefore, the use of both names in the initial reports does not indicate that the attack occurred in Romanian waters. The Ukrainian Ministry's statement regarding Bystre does not clarify this.
Information regarding the status of the pilot captain is limited. Dumskaya reported that the Ukrainian pilot captain and 13 crew members were evacuated. The official statement being examined does not contain information about the pilot captain's death. The evacuation information does not confirm the pilot captain's current health status. The identity and nationality of the deceased ship captain and the current health status of the injured have not been mentioned in the accessible statements.
Russia's statement did not include the name of the vessel. Reports from Russian sources included announcements of attacks on other vessels on the same day. Interfax published a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense claiming that two dry cargo ships were struck in Chornomorsk and 11 kilometers east of Odesa. The Russian side alleged that these vessels were carrying cargo for the Ukrainian army. However, the name MARIAM M or its IMO number was not provided in the report. Since there is no verified information to associate this statement with the incident in the Danube delta, the military cargo claim cannot be attributed to MARIAM M.
English-language publications Ukrinform and Ukrainska Pravda attributed the information about the captain's death and three injuries to Ukrainian authorities. The Turkish press also reported the incident as an attack on a Tanzanian-flagged vessel. The fact that these publications relay the same statement does not mean that all details of the attack have been verified by independent sources.
The extent of the vessel's damage, whether it can navigate on its own, and the current status of the salvage operation have not yet been confirmed. A recent official navigation announcement confirming that Bystroe or Sulina transits have been completely halted due to this attack has also not been found in the investigation. Ukrainian Shipping Magazine noted in its initial report that it is unknown whether canal traffic has been obstructed.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
