Dominica-flagged cargo ship sinks in Black Sea after suspected drone attack

A merchant vessel sailing under the Dominica flag has sunk in the Black Sea after a fire broke out following a suspected drone attack. The Progress IV, en route to the Turkish port of Tekirdag, was reportedly struck multiple times by drones. Romanian coast guard units responded to a distress call from another merchant ship in the area, which reported seeing people in the water.

The rescue operation, conducted in challenging conditions with waves reaching approximately 2.5 meters, successfully saved all 12 crew members. Ten were recovered by a border patrol vessel, one with minor hand injuries, while the remaining two were rescued by the ship that raised the alarm. The crew, comprising eight Ukrainians and four Azerbaijanis, were transported to a hospital and have since been discharged.

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The ship was hit and it seems it sank. But for now, we don't know who hit it or why.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, who was on an official visit to neighboring Moldova at the time, confirmed the suspected drone attack. "The ship was hit and it seems it sank. But for now, we don't know who hit it or why," he stated. Crew testimonies suggest the Progress IV was targeted by three drones within an hour, with impacts on both its port and starboard sides.

This incident highlights the increasing risks to commercial navigation in the Black Sea amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Free Trade Union of Seafarers has called for the identification of safer routes, warning of the heightened dangers posed by unmanned aerial vehicles, potentially of the incendiary 'dragon drone' type, equipped with thermite or explosive payloads.

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The impression is that the attack was carried out with drones, probably other types of devices, of an incendiary nature.