A cargo ship carrying Ukrainian corn caught fire and sank in the Black Sea on Monday, killing two crew members. Romanian authorities said 11 crew members were rescued after the fire broke out on the vessel, later identified as the Royad Mammadov, about 30 nautical miles south of the fishing port of Sfantu Gheorghe, inside Romania’s exclusive economic zone.

The 139-metre vessel was Turkish-owned and sailed under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis. It had left the Ukrainian port of Izmail and was heading to Ravenna, Italy, with a cargo of corn. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed the fire on a strike by two Russian drones, saying Azerbaijani and Indian nationals were on board and that the captain was among those killed.

Romania’s Interior Ministry did not specify what caused the fire. Russia did not immediately comment, though its defence ministry bulletin said Russian forces had struck two cargo vessels. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said India was pursuing talks with Russia and Ukraine for the safe passage of grain and fuel shipments from the Black Sea.