Seven sailors missing after drones strike tankers near Romania’s Black Sea coast

Seven sailors are missing after drones struck two tankers, the Wine Trader and Yara J, near Romania's Black Sea coast, causing fires. A NATO military source stated the drones were of Russian origin. Romania's president condemned the attacks on commercial ships as unacceptable and called for them to stop. These incidents, occurring on a vital shipping route for Ukraine, have raised security concerns. Similar drone strikes off the coast of Bulgaria in recent days have also resulted in missing crew members. NATO allies have agreed to strengthen Black Sea defenses, and the issue will be discussed at an upcoming North Atlantic Council meeting.

Eight crew members are missing after a drone attack struck the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader off Romania's coast on Thursday morning. The vessel, located 13 nautical miles east of the River Danube's mouth, reported blasts and a fire. Romanian President Nicușor Dan confirmed the tanker was hit by drones. A search and rescue operation involving helicopters and boats is underway for the missing crew. This incident follows a recent increase in drone attacks in the western Black Sea, with Russia having reported hitting two cargo ships near Ukraine's Snake Island. Previously, two merchant ships were struck by drones off Bulgaria's coast, resulting in one sinking and 11 missing crew members.

A chemical and oil tanker, the Yara J, caught fire in Romania's territorial waters, prompting the evacuation of its crew. Romanian authorities are investigating the incident, with a focus on whether drones may have been involved. This event occurs amidst rising concerns about hybrid attacks in the Black Sea, attributed to Russia. Multiple drones were reported to have breached Romanian airspace near its border with Ukraine on the same day. The incident follows similar attacks off Bulgaria's coast, where two ships were hit by drones, one sinking. Ukraine has previously blamed Russian drones for the sinking of a grain ship outside Romanian waters earlier this month. These incursions are seen by some as tests of NATO and EU defenses.