The commercial vessel “Khoryv,” which was struck by a drone attack near the Romanian port of Constanța on October 23, has drifted into Bulgaria’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Drifting unmanned and partially submerged, the ship poses a serious hazard to maritime navigation in the region.
Sea-news.az reports citing the Romanian publication Financial Intelligence and the specialized Bulgarian portal Maritime.bg.
According to reports, the Comoros-flagged vessel was located on October 27 near the Romanian-Bulgarian maritime border, approximately 13 nautical miles east of Cape Sivriburun. The vessel’s navigation lights are non-operational, and no crew members remain on board.
The Maritime Hydrographic Directorate of Romania issued a navigation warning regarding the hazardous condition of the vessel, advising ships transiting the area to maintain a clearance of at least one nautical mile.
Bulgaria’s transport and defense authorities are closely monitoring the situation. Possibilities of dispatching a naval vessel to assess the ship’s structural integrity are under discussion, though the launch of such an operation has not yet been confirmed.
It should be noted that during the October 23 incident roughly 13 nautical miles off Constanța, the “Khoryv” had 13 crew members on board. The emergency rescue operation saved 9 individuals, recovered the body of 1 crew member, while 3 others remain missing.
The vessel’s drift toward the Bulgarian economic zone raises concerns over maritime safety as well as potential environmental hazards. However, there are currently no official reports of fuel leaks or marine pollution.
