Constanta:One sailor has died and three remain missing after a drone strike sank a commercial vessel near Romania's territorial waters, President Nicusor Dan announced on Friday.

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the attack on the Comoros-flagged vessel Khoryv occurred approximately 24 kilometers east of the Romanian port city of Constanta. Nine crew members were successfully rescued following the incident, which took place outside of Romania's territorial waters.

The Romanian authorities responded promptly by launching a search-and-rescue operation after receiving a distress signal from the ship. Rescue ships were dispatched to the location to assist in the operation.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her concerns on the US social media platform X. She described the incident as "another Russian escalation in the Black Sea," highlighting that the vessel carried Ukrainian and Azerbaijani crew members. Von der Leyen emphasized that these actions target innocent lives and violate international law.

As of the time of publication, Russian officials have not provided any public comment regarding the incident.