The prosecutor's office at the Constanța Court of Appeal opened an inquiry into pollution of waters from a ship, destruction or damage of a ship, operation of an unmanned civilian aircraft carrying explosives, and eight counts of bodily harm. Nobody has been named as responsible.
Romania / 2026-08-27-ro-1
airspace incident: Black Sea, about 15-20 nautical miles south-east of Sfântu Gheorghe, outside territorial waters, in Romania's exclusive economic zone (2026-08-27)
/ date of the event
What happened
On 27 August 2026 at about 17:55 MRCC Constanța received a distress signal from the Dominican-flagged Progress IV, carrying sugar and clay to Turkey, about 15-20 nautical miles south-east of Sfântu Gheorghe, outside territorial waters in Romania's exclusive economic zone. A fire had broken out on board; in 2.5 m waves the coast guard vessel MAI 0201 and the merchant ship Mohamad B recovered all 12 crew by 20:47, one with a broken arm, with support from ARSVOM tugs. The ship sank the same evening, at 22:04 according to the navigational warning, and 199 containers were left adrift. President Nicușor Dan said in Chișinău that the ship "was struck" but it was not known by whom or with what; defence minister Radu Miruță related that the crew had reported being hit by "some drone". The prosecutor's office at the Constanța Court of Appeal opened an inquiry covering, among other things, the use of an unmanned aircraft carrying explosives and eight counts of bodily harm. What struck the ship, whether anything struck it at all and whether that is linked to the fire has not been established.
Responsibility and limits of the evidence
not assessed
Nobody has yet assessed responsibility for this record. Not assessed is not the same as not established.
Impact
- killed
- not established
- injured
- at least 1
- damage
- property damage
All 12 crew were rescued; one had a broken arm. Prosecutors are investigating, among other things, eight counts of bodily harm.
pending editorial review
evacuation: 12
Source discrepancy
Malcontent dates the event 29 August 2026; the distress call, the rescue and the sinking (22:04) fall on 27 August according to News.ro, Antena 3, the prosecutors and the navigational warning. 27 August was adopted.
News.ro and Antena 3 speak of one injured (a broken arm); the prosecutors are investigating eight counts of bodily harm. 1 was adopted as a minimum.
Distance from Sfântu Gheorghe: 15 nm (News.ro), 16 nm (defence minister), about 20 nm south-east (prosecutors, MRCC). The point represents that range.
What happened next
Sources
- UPDATE - Navă comercială a luat foc în Marea Neagră, în zona economică exclusivă a României. Echipajul de 12 marinari, salvat, unul dintre ei fiind rănit. Nicușor Dan: Nava a fost lovită și pare că s-a scufundat
News.ro / 2026-08-27 / secondary source
supports: the record, that it happened, the date, the location, the impact
- Nava Progress IV a luat foc și s-a scufundat joi în Marea Neagră. România i-a acordat ajutor. Nicușor Dan spune că nava a fost lovită
Antena 3 CNN / 2026-08-27 / secondary source
supports: the record, that it happened, the impact
- Anchetă penală după scufundarea navei Progress IV în Marea Neagră
Gândul / 2026-08-28 / secondary source
supports: the record, the impact, the location
- O dronă tip 'Dragon' ar fi lovit nava scufundată în Marea Neagră (surse)
Stiripesurse / 2026-08-28 / secondary source
supports: the record, the location
- Containerele de pe nava scufundată lângă Sfântu Gheorghe, pericol pentru navigație în Marea Neagră
Cuget Liber / secondary source
supports: the record