Cargo ship MARIAM M probably drifting without crew off the Danube delta

The Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship MARIAM M was sighted without crew or cargo at 08:30 local time on 14 November 2026, about 15 nautical miles east of the Sulina branch of the Danube, maritime publication Maritime.bg reports. The information about its drift comes from that report, which cites a Romanian navigational warning. At the time of publication, Flank has found no independent confirmation.

Ship drifting south, about 109 nautical miles from Shabla

According to the warning cited by Maritime.bg, MARIAM M is drifting in a generally southerly direction. Passing ships have been warned to keep a safe distance. According to maritime publication Maritime.bg, Snake Island lies about 15 nautical miles north of the ship.

According to Maritime.bg, the reported position is about 79 nautical miles from Constanța and about 109 nautical miles from Shabla. These distances do not indicate the ship’s future route or how long it might take to reach the coast. Without up-to-date information on its drift speed, wind and currents, it is not possible to conclude that the vessel will enter Bulgarian waters.

In the condition described, the immediate risk is a collision with a vessel not under command near the sea approaches to the Danube. Assessing that risk requires its current position and technical condition, as well as information on any action to make it safe or take it under tow. The Romanian warning itself and up-to-date confirmation of MARIAM M’s location and condition are needed to clarify the situation.

Reported details of the earlier attack differ

Maritime.bg links MARIAM M to an earlier attack by an unmanned aerial vehicle while it was sailing towards the Ukrainian port of Reni. The report quotes a statement by the Ukrainian authorities saying that one crew member was killed and three were injured. The strike hit the superstructure and caused a fire on the bridge.

The Insider, a Russian investigative publication operating outside Russia, also reported an attack on the same ship. In an article dated 18 September, it cited the publication Dumskaya. According to Dumskaya, the attack took place on 17 September 2026 while the ship was heading to Reni to load wheat. According to Dumskaya’s account, relayed by The Insider, the captain was killed, while a Ukrainian pilot and 13 crew members were evacuated.

The Insider’s article relays information about the earlier attack but does not independently confirm the current drift. It makes no mention of three people being injured. The reports of the strike do not in themselves establish the cause of the ship’s condition on 14 November.