Royad Mammadov

History

The Royad Mammadov is a Turkish general cargo ship that sank in the Black Sea on 5 October 2026 after being struck by two Russian unmanned aerial vehicles. The vessel was transporting corn from the Ukrainian port of Izmail to the Italian port of Ravenna when the attack occurred in international waters, approximately 20 nautical miles (37 km) from shore. The ship departed the port of Izmail in mid-September 2026 and entered the Black Sea on 3 October. AIS tracking signals from the vessel were lost at approximately 09:20 local time on 5 October, indicating the probable time of the attack. The Romanian Ministry of Interior confirmed the sinking. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the vessel was struck by two Russian drones while carrying corn in neutral waters.

At the time of the attack, the crew included citizens of Azerbaijan and India. The ship's captain was killed. Eleven crew members were rescued, one of them injured. The fate of one additional person remained unconfirmed. Earlier that week, a civilian vessel under the Liberian flag was attacked in the port area of the Odesa region, resulting in one fatality.

Design

The Royad Mammadov (IMO 9356969, MMSI 341609002) is a general cargo ship built in 2006. The vessel sails under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, while its commercial and technical operation is managed by Turkish companies. The ship was engaged in commercial grain transport between Black Sea ports and European destinations.