A cargo ship caught fire and sank in the exclusive economic zone of Romania in the Black Sea on the 5th. The ship, operated by a Turkish company, was flying the flags of Saint Christopher and Nevis. Romanian authorities launched a rescue operation, with 11 people rescued and 2 crew members unfortunately perishing.
According to the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs, at around 11 a.m. that day, the Coast Guard received a report from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Constanța (MRCC Constanța) that a merchant ship was on fire in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, about 30 nautical miles south of Sfântu Gheorghe, and later sank.
Rescue teams immediately started searching and rescuing, with 11 crew members saved and 2 confirmed deceased. The Romanian Civil Aviation Authority deployed helicopters to airlift the injured to medical facilities for emergency treatment.
According to Romanian media outlet news.ro, the vessel involved was the “Royad Mammadov”, a grain carrier, which was suspected to have been hit by a drone before the incident. Romanian officials have not yet confirmed the cause of the fire. At the time, the Royad Mammadov was sailing between the Ukrainian port of Izmail and the Italian port of Ravenna.
At the time of this incident, Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea were facing pressure due to attacks by Russia on Ukrainian ports and related infrastructure, causing disruptions in export channels. Cotidianul.ro, a Romanian media outlet, cited data from the Ukrainian Port Authority, reporting a 75% year-on-year decrease in grain exports in the first two weeks of August this year due to attacks on Ukrainian ports and related infrastructure. Due to factors such as insufficient funds, Ukrainian farmers may be forced to reduce cultivation area, with the reduction possibly reaching up to 40%.
Cotidianul.ro quoted estimates indicating that if the Black Sea export channel continues to be obstructed, global food prices could further rise, with food prices expected to increase by over 9% by the end of the year. Analytical firm Oxford Economics predicts that the global food price index may rise by about 9.3% in 2026.