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Turkish Cargo Ship Sunk By Drone Strike Off Romania, Two Sailors Killed

There's no doubt that the tit-for-tat war on Black Sea shipping is getting nastier. For several months now, both Russian and Ukrainian forces have traded drone and missile attacks on ports and ships, disrupting vital Black Sea trade.

For Ukraine this national transit lifeline is even more important amid its war time economy. A major incident has unfolded Monday after an alleged direct hit by Russian drone on a Turkish cargo ship carrying grain from a Ukrainian port.

Screengrab from rescue footage of the Royad Mammadov sinking off Romania's coast.

Two crew members died, while eleven others were rescued, and with another reported missing. Ukraine quickly blamed Russia for the attack.

Romanian vessels and helicopters conducted the large rescue operation off national waters, some 20 miles from the NATO member's shore.

The Saint Kitts and Nevis flagged ship - identified as the Royad Mammadov - eventually sunk as a result of the attack after catching fire in the wake of the initial drone impact and blasts.

It had reportedly been headed out of the Ukrainian port of Ismail in the Odesa region navigating towards Ravenna, Italy when it came under assault.

Ukraine's President Zelensky laid direct blame on Russia. "A horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel in neutral waters carrying corn and owned by Türkiye. Azerbaijani and Indian citizens were on board," he wrote on X.

"As of now, unfortunately, we know that the ​ship's captain was killed. My condolences. The fate of one other person is still being ‌established. Eleven ⁠crew members were rescued, one of them injured," he added.

While Russian authorities did not comment or own up to the specific attack, the Russian Defense Ministry did announce hours earlier that its forces had struck two cargo vessels, according to Reuters.

Surreal footage showing large cargo ship about to go under the water amid high-risk rescue operation:

Another merchant vessel has been sunk in the Black Sea. The Royad Mammadov, carrying grain from Ukraine’s Izmail to Ravenna, Italy, caught fire and sank after being struck by a drone on Oct. 5. Two crew members were killed, 11 rescued. The vessel was Turkish-operated and went down in Romania’s EEZ, about 30 nautical miles south of Sfântu Gheorghe. This is what the Black Sea #grain risk looks like now. What does this mean for regional grain exports and #wheat prices? Our view: https://t.co/m4IIeeRsmT #Ukraine #blacksea #oatt

— Andrey Sizov (@sizov_andre) October 5, 2026

These attacks on Black Sea shipping have been steadily ramping up all summer. With roughly 90% of Ukrainian grain and sunflower shipments departing from the primary port cluster of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdenne, the fallout on Ukraine's agricultural sector has been severe.

Moscow seeks to sever military supply routes and disrupt arms shipments bound for Ukraine, but this has also obviously resulted in damaged and sunken tankers, auxiliary vessels, and even deaths of civilian bystanders among international shipping crew. It has accused Ukraine of seeking to hide military shipments under the guise of civilian cargo transit.

OCTOBER ONLY.$10 OFFYOUR NEXT ORDER.$30 min. Ends Oct 31. One per customer.GET MY $10 OFF →Signs you up for ZeroHedge Store emails. Can't be combined. Every order helps support ZeroHedge. Tyler Durden Mon, 10/05/2026 - 17:20

"The early bird gets the worm."

Rams star Aaron Donald is expected to return to practice this week and could face Josh Allen and the Bills on Monday Night Football at SoFi Stadium.

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All the items in the famed Page Six print column!

All the items in the famed Page Six print column!

IRS Employees Caught Snooping Through Tax Records Of Public Figures, Watchdog Finds

Authored by AG News Staff via American Greatness,

An internal investigation has uncovered widespread failures at the Internal Revenue Service after dozens of employees were flagged for suspiciously accessing confidential taxpayer records, including those belonging to government officials, business leaders and entertainers.

A report released Tuesday by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) identified 86 suspicious instances involving 52 IRS employees accessing the records of 30 taxpayers between 2022 and 2025.

The findings raise fresh concerns about taxpayer privacy, government accountability and the IRS's ability to safeguard Americans' sensitive financial information.

"The IRS's UNAX [unauthorized access] program is not adequately addressing the risk of unauthorized access to taxpayers' accounts," the watchdog concluded.

Investigators also identified 22 employees who were not terminated despite improperly accessing taxpayer information without authorization or consent.

The report revealed additional failures involving taxpayer notifications. The IRS failed to inform 175 taxpayers that employees had improperly accessed their records because agency personnel did not follow established procedures.

Another 101 taxpayers were never notified because the responsible employees resigned or retired before disciplinary action was proposed.

TIGTA issued eight recommendations, including strengthening security systems, restricting employee access to sensitive database functions and reinforcing the legal consequences of intentionally accessing taxpayer records without authorization.

The IRS agreed or partially agreed with seven recommendations, with corrective measures planned for December 2026. However, the agency rejected a recommendation to establish overall timeliness standards for notifying victims, arguing such standards already exist.

The findings come amid longstanding concerns about the IRS's handling of politically sensitive taxpayer information.

President Donald Trump previously filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department, alleging the government failed to protect his confidential tax records from unauthorized inspection and disclosure. He voluntarily dropped the lawsuit in May 2026.

Former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in federal prison in January 2024 after leaking confidential tax information belonging to Trump and other wealthy Americans.

Tyler Durden Mon, 10/05/2026 - 17:00

A 3.5 magnitude earthquake has shaken parts of Southern California Monday afternoon, striking in the Pacific Ocean off the Orange County coast.

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The second lady, with little Alec Neel Vance strapped to her chest in a baby carrier and a diaper bag flung over her shoulder, appeared to miss a step near the bottom of the stairs.

The judge threw the book at him and gave him life in prison without parole.

Surprise Republican Senator Admits He's Considering Running For President In 2028

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) revealed over the weekend that he is considering a run for the White House in 2028, saying he could jump into the Republican presidential primary if he looks at the field and sees too many "goobers" with a chance of winning.

Kennedy, the sharp-tongued Louisiana Republican known for his colorful one-liners and viral Senate hearing exchanges, was asked directly Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press whether he was thinking about running for president.

"Yeah," Kennedy responded when asked by host Kristen Welker.

Sen John Kennedy Won't Rule Out 2028

"Why not me on a rainy day?"

"If a bunch of goobers run, and I think they're goobers, and one of the goobers might win, and I think I could do a better job, I would consider running."

Goober clause is in effect. https://t.co/sGgNTcZYi1 pic.twitter.com/nNKfAk4TAt

— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) October 4, 2026

"My plans right now are to run for reelection. But as I've said before, if I don't think I can be effective in the Senate anymore, I would consider it," the lawmaker added. "You know, what's the old Judds song, Why not me on a rainy day? Why not me to love your blues away? But I haven't made a decision."

The Louisiana senator made clear that the strength, or weakness, of the eventual Republican field could help determine whether he takes the plunge.

"If a bunch of, on my side of the aisle, if a bunch of goobers run, and I think they're goobers and one of the goobers might win, and I think I could do a better job, I would consider running," he explained. "But right now, I'm running for reelection."

Any Kennedy campaign would enter a Republican race where Vice President JD Vance currently holds a sizable advantage in early polling. The RealClearPolitics polling average currently has Vance at 39.7%, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 23.4%, Donald Trump Jr. at 11.1% and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) at 7.3%.

However, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) increasingly appears to be laying the groundwork for another White House campaign. Cruz, who ran for president in 2016 and ultimately lost to President Donald Trump, has been actively campaigning around the country, including in key early primary states.

That maneuvering has already sparked some early fireworks with Vance.

"It is really obvious to me that, at this very moment, Ted Cruz is running for president," Vance told NBC News last week.

Cruz fired back days later, accusing the vice president of taking shots because he was feeling "insecure."

 

Tyler Durden Mon, 10/05/2026 - 16:40