Turkmenistan's foreign ministry on Wednesday notified that an Iranian-flagged cargo ship, Rona (IMO: 8301852), had sunk in the Caspian Sea.
According to AIS data, the freighter—often mistakenly called the Oban—had been en route from Iran's Amirabad Port to Russia's Astrakhan Port.
This comes after the country's Coast Guard Services received an SOS from the vessel, which they said had been "suffering" in the Caspian Sea.
The Iranian-flagged dry cargo ship Rona has reportedly sunk in the Caspian Sea off the coast of Turkmenistan while en route from Iran to Astrakhan, Russia.
— OSINT Intuit™ (@UKikaski) January 14, 2026
There is no official info on cause at this time, but the vessel was on fire and sinking at the stern (engine room) before… pic.twitter.com/Df74PCNCue
Turkmen agencies stated that they immediately took the necessary emergency response and prevention measures, in order to rescue the vessel's 14 crew members, who were at risk of sinking with it.
The foreign ministry notification added that Indians had been among the crew members onboard the sinking vessel, apart from Iranians.
"At present, the Turkmen side is undertaking all relevant procedures in accordance with the international rules," Ashgabat added.
Visuals circulating online showed smoke issuing from the centre of the ship, before it listed (tilted to one side) backwards along its stern (engine room), and sunk.
The Rona was part of a maritime route servicing Iranian ports and the Russian ports of Astrakhan, Makhachkala, and Azov, according to a Maritime Executive report, citing Ukrainian news channel Astra.
Since this route somewhat aligns with the shipping route used for the deliveries of Iranian arms to Russia in its war with Ukraine, the sinking of the Rona led to speculations that it had been involved in one such operation.
Authorities have not yet released other details about the cargo vessel. The nature of the cargo it carried has also raised concerns of potential pollution risks in the landlocked Caspian Sea.
