Rescuers searched on Thursday for seven missing sailors after drone strikes set two chemical tankers ablaze near Romania’s Black Sea coast, raising fresh security concerns over a vital shipping route used by Ukraine. A NATO military source said the drones were Russian, while Romanian President Nicusor Dan confirmed the vessels had been hit but declined to attribute responsibility.
The missing sailors were among 12 crew members aboard the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader, struck about 13 nautical miles south-east of the Sulina canal, just outside Romanian territorial waters. Five crew members were rescued. All crew aboard the second vessel, the Comoros-flagged Yara J, were safe after it caught fire inside Romanian waters late on Wednesday.
Romanian authorities deployed two Black Hawk helicopters and two rescue ships, but said rough seas were hampering operations. The strikes follow a series of attacks on commercial shipping in the western Black Sea. At least five other cargo vessels have been hit near Romania and neighbouring Bulgaria in the past 10 days, with at least 23 sailors reported missing or dead.
NATO said it was in contact with Romanian officials and would adjust its deterrence and defence measures as necessary. Two other vessels were also targeted overnight: the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Sea Destiny in Romanian waters and the Tanzanian-flagged tanker Dania J, docked at Ukraine’s Izmail port.
“The situation in the Black Sea is serious,” Dan said, warning that attacks on commercial vessels threatened lives, global trade and critical infrastructure. The escalating violence has heightened concerns over grain exports, as Russian attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports have forced Kyiv to rely more heavily on Danube routes near Romania and Bulgaria.