Tragic Capsizing of KHORYV in Black Sea: One Dead, Nine Rescued

A new incident has been added to the wave of attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea. A sailor died, nine were rescued, and three are missing from the KHORYV, which capsized off the coast of Constanța. The President of Romania announced that the ship was hit by a drone. In the official navigation warning, it was noted that the ship was floating upside down at the time of the announcement.

The Comoros-flagged KHORYV (IMO 8138712), which was sailing from Karadeniz Ereğli to the Sulina Port at the Danube entrance in Romania, capsized following a fire that broke out off Constanța on the morning of October 23. A search and rescue operation was launched for the ship. This incident occurred after a series of attacks and fire incidents involving commercial vessels off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania throughout the month.

The first aid was provided by a nearby commercial vessel.

The Romanian Maritime Authority ANR stated that the distress call was received around 10:00 local time and that the KHORYV was located approximately 13 nautical miles off Constanța, outside Romanian territorial waters. The crew distribution provided by ANR includes 10 Ukrainian and three Azerbaijani citizens. This distance, equivalent to about 24 kilometers, indicates the incident's proximity to the shore; it does not mean it occurred within territorial waters.

In the information released by the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs, it was noted that the ship, which suffered severe damage due to the fire, had its 10 crew members taken aboard a nearby commercial vessel, with nine of them surviving. The survivors were later transferred to a coast guard vessel and taken to Constanța. Poor weather and low visibility initially prevented helicopter intervention. Bulgarian maritime publication Maritime.bg reported that the vessel that reached out for help was the SARTOR.

The official navigation warning recorded the capsized state.

While international news referred to the KHORYV as 'sunk,' the navigation warning numbered ARN 153/2026 issued by the Romanian Hydrographic Office on October 23 describes a different and critical situation for mariners: the ship capsized at 10:06 and continued to float upside down at the time the announcement was published.

The announcement provides the location as 44°06.59′ North, 029°01.10′ East. Vessels in the area are advised to maintain at least one nautical mile of safety distance, to keep a vigilant lookout for the three missing persons, and to relay relevant information to MRCC Constanța via VHF Channel 16. Due to this record, it is not possible to confirm that the KHORYV is completely submerged.

What statements are there regarding the perpetrator of the attack?

Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced that the ship was struck by a drone and described the incident as part of the escalation caused by Russia's war against Ukraine. In statements reported by Bulgarian news agency BTA, Romanian Foreign Minister Dan Neculăescu emphasized the need to protect maritime trade and freedom of navigation.

In contrast, the initial rescue bulletins from ANR and the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs provided information on the fire, damage, and capsizing but did not identify the attacker. The examined rescue statements did not include technical examination results supporting the identification of the perpetrator. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reported on the evening of October 23 that the incident may have been caused by a drone attack, according to preliminary information.

The Ukrainian statement differs in crew count.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that one Ukrainian citizen died, four Ukrainian sailors, including the captain, were hospitalized, and two Ukrainians did not require medical assistance. The ministry's statement published by Interfax-Ukraine lists the total crew as 14. The discrepancy between Romania's operational record of 13 personnel and Ukraine's consular statement had not been resolved at the time of the news preparation.

Russia announces attacks on unnamed bulk carriers.

On the Russian front, two separate statements were released on the same day. In a news report by Interfax dated October 23 at 08:10, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that it struck a bulk carrier sailing to Odessa in the Black Sea the previous night. In a second report dated 22:33, the ministry announced that a drone attack was carried out on a bulk carrier during daylight hours on Friday. In both statements, it was claimed that the vessel was carrying cargo for the Ukrainian army.

In these announcements, the name of the ship, IMO number, and coordinates were not disclosed. Therefore, the connection to the KHORYV incident has not been confirmed; the military cargo claim cannot be used as independently verified information. Russian state agency TASS reported on the KHORYV incident, including the Romanian President's statement and the rescue tally. The statement by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on October 16 regarding previous incidents off Bulgaria's coast, stating that 'there is no evidence identifying the perpetrator,' is not a specific response to the KHORYV case.

A series of incidents off the coast of Bulgaria.

The picture drawn by Bulgarian sources indicates that the threat is not limited to a single vessel. According to a report dated October 6 based on General Staff Chief Emil Eftimov, ALFA WATAN sank in incidents within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone; the 18-member crew of ABLE was rescued by DIOSCURIA. Bulgarian authorities emphasized the importance of examining the remnants regarding the type and source of the drones.

On October 13, CHELSEA 3 was targeted approximately 17 nautical miles east of Byala; HS DIGNITY was also targeted about 17 nautical miles east of Shabla. According to technical information published by the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport via BTA, all 15 people on CHELSEA 3 were rescued. Initially, five individuals were taken from the sunken HS DIGNITY. Ministry data indicates that both vessels were sailing empty: CHELSEA 3 was heading from Giresun to Moldova's Giurgiulești Port, while HS DIGNITY was traveling from Algeria's Mostaganem Port to Romania's Brăila Port. CHELSEA 3 was delivered to Burgas on October 17 after the rescue and towing operation.

On the Romanian side, a fire broke out on the YARA J on the night of October 14 and on the WINE TRADER on the morning of October 15 after being hit by a drone. According to Reuters, five people were rescued from WINE TRADER, and seven were reported missing; the crew of YARA J was safe. The dates, geography, and verification scope of the events vary among sources. As of October 23, BGNES counts eight vessels in its chronology, while maritime security company Ambrey reports nine vessels for the same month. Thus, these numbers do not form a directly comparable total. The fate of the missing individuals has not yet been confirmed.

Attacks near the Ukrainian coast continue.

The Odesa Regional Administration announced on October 6 that another commercial vessel flying the Marshall Islands flag, carrying rapeseed oil, was hit by a Russian drone, resulting in a fire on the superstructure, one death, and seven injuries. This incident should be evaluated separately from the cases off the coast of Bulgaria.

Reports from Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne on October 23 also indicate that an energy facility south of the Odesa region, as well as civil and industrial facilities, were damaged, and at least three people were injured in daytime attacks. There is no data available to define all the mentioned facilities as port infrastructure. However, the simultaneous attacks on coastal infrastructure on the same day as the vessel attacks indicate that the pressure faced by maritime trade continues across multiple areas.

NATO increases surveillance.

NATO announced on October 20 that additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, and drones would be sent to the Black Sea. According to a report based on a spokesperson for the alliance, the support also includes intelligence personnel and expert teams to examine explosive remnants. The announcement does not include a commitment to provide escort for every commercial vessel. The Romanian Ministry of Defense announced on October 17 that two drones entering national airspace over territorial waters were shot down by F-16s; this incident occurred six days before the KHORYV incident.

The prominent risk for maritime trade.

The fact that these vessels operate on routes connected to Turkish ports highlights the direct significance of developments for the Turkish maritime sector. The threat is not limited to cargo loss: the safety of the crew, fire and evacuation, the navigation hazards posed by capsized vessels, and the limits of search and rescue in bad weather can converge in the same incident.

Ambrey's assessment on October 23 also points out that coastal surveillance and air defense measures have not been able to prevent all attacks on commercial vessels. The company further emphasizes the risk of unexploded ordnance, secondary explosions, and new attack risks during rescue operations around damaged vessels. Therefore, the presence of increased military surveillance cannot be interpreted as a security guarantee for the entirety of commercial navigation. In the KHORYV case, the most concrete current reference for sailors is the official navigation warning that determines the approach distance to the ship and the notification channel.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye