Search for three sailors from sunken Khoryv suspended in Black Sea

Romanian rescuers have suspended the search for three sailors who went missing after the “Khoryv” sank in the Black Sea near Constanta.

This was reported by Constanța.info.

The search operation was suspended on October 24 at 18:04 due to poor visibility after almost four hours of work. It is not yet known whether the operation was resumed today, October 25.

The SAR Artemis rescue vessel was involved in the operation, which left the port of Constanta following a request from the Maritime Coordination Center (MRCC). The search was also carried out by a Black Hawk helicopter of the General Aviation Inspectorate of the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs. The aircraft could not join the search the day before due to adverse weather conditions.

The Khoryv, flying the flag of the Comoros, sank on the morning of October 23, approximately 13 nautical miles, or 24 km, from Constanta, outside Romanian territorial waters.

Romanian President Nikos Dan said the ship was hit by a drone and the crew sent a distress signal before sinking.

There were 13 sailors on board, ten Ukrainians and three Azerbaijanis. Nine crew members were rescued and taken to Constanta, one Ukrainian sailor died, and three others are missing.

The attack on the “Khoryv” was one of the latest incidents involving civilian shipping in the western Black Sea. Against the backdrop of a series of strikes off the coast of Romania and Bulgaria, the issues of protecting merchant ships and anti-drone defense in the region are increasingly being discussed at the EU and NATO levels.

Earlier, USM reported that another vessel was attacked in the Black Sea.