The cargo vessel Khoryv has sunk in the Black Sea about 13 nautical miles off the Romanian port of Constanța, leaving one crew member dead and three others missing.

Romanian naval authorities received a distress signal at around 10:00 a.m. (GMT+3). There were 13 people aboard the vessel: 10 Ukrainian nationals and three Azerbaijani citizens, according to life.ru.

Rescuers managed to pull nine crew members from the water. One person has been confirmed dead, while search teams continue efforts to locate the three missing sailors.

The cause of the sinking has not been officially established. Some reports suggest the vessel may have been attacked by a drone, although this has not been confirmed by authorities.

The ship was also reportedly carrying petroleum products, but its cargo has not been officially verified.

The search-and-rescue operation is ongoing, with adverse weather conditions making the efforts more difficult.