Zelensky condemns 'horrific' Russian strike on boat carrying corn in Black Sea

What the report says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned what he called a Russian strike on a civilian cargo vessel carrying corn in the Black Sea, saying the attack was “horrific” and that the ship’s captain was killed. In the account reported by BBC World News, the vessel was Turkish-owned and was hit by two drones. Zelenskyy said 11 crew members were rescued, while one sailor remained unaccounted for.

Romania said it launched a rescue operation after reports of a fire on the ship, identified in its statement as Royad Mammadov, outside Romanian territorial waters. The Romanian interior ministry said the vessel was about 30 nautical miles south of Sfantu Gheorghe and that 11 crew members were brought to safety. It also said two people had died. The crew members rescued were reported to be nationals of Azerbaijan and India.

Russia had not commented on the incident at the time of the BBC report, though its defence ministry earlier said it had struck two cargo vessels. The episode adds to rising tension in the Black Sea, where shipping has been affected by the wider war since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Zelenskyy used the incident to repeat his call for stronger pressure on Moscow to protect maritime routes and global food shipments.