Two tankers burn near the Danube delta
The Yara J, a Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker sailing from Turkey to Sulina, caught fire on the evening of 14 October in Romanian territorial waters, and its crew was rescued and accounted for. Early on 15 October a fire broke out aboard the San Marino-flagged Wine Trader, a chemical tanker travelling from Tunisia to Romania. Both vessels had been anchored near the mouth of the Sulina channel, which links the Black Sea to the Danube. Ars Technica, citing Reuters, placed the Wine Trader about one mile outside Romanian territorial waters when it was hit.
Missing sailors and the rescue
The Romanian Naval Authority first said in a press release that 12 people were aboard the Wine Trader, with four safe and eight missing.
There were 12 people on board the vessel. Four of them are safe, whilst eight are currently missing.
Later reports, including Deutsche Welle and Ars Technica citing Reuters, gave five people rescued and seven still missing, the newest count available. Deutsche Welle said Romanian authorities launched a search and rescue operation after an emergency alert from the Wine Trader. Radu Miruta, acting Defense Minister, said an inquiry was under way, while military radars had recorded no drone heading for the Yara J. The Yara J crew, by contrast, was accounted for in full.
Russia and the drone question
Romanian President Nicusor Dan said the two tankers were hit by Russian drones that had entered the country's airspace, a statement carried by ANSA citing Sky News. Deutsche Welle noted that Romanian authorities had not yet explicitly said drones caused the fires. The Ministry of National Defense reported that a drone briefly entered Romania's airspace at 1:34 a.m. southeast of Sulina before disappearing from radar. Reuters cited an anonymous NATO source as attributing the attacks to Russia. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said, after meeting Romanian and Bulgarian leaders, that the alliance had increased counter-drone capabilities along its eastern flank.
A wider campaign against shipping
On 13 October drones struck two ships off Bulgaria. The HS Dignity, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship, had 11 crew still missing, while the Ukrainian-operated Chelsea 3, flying the Maltese flag, had all 15 crew evacuated, five of them treated for minor injuries. About a week before those strikes, sea and aerial drones hit two other commercial vessels in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, sinking a Togo-flagged ship while a Bulgarian ferry evacuated the 18 crew of a damaged Palau-flagged vessel. On 5 October a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying corn caught fire after a drone attack and later sank off Romania, with two people dead and 11 crew rescued. Deutsche Welle counted at least 23 sailors missing across attacks on at least five cargo ships in the 10 days to 15 October.
- Turkish-owned corn cargo ship catches fire after a drone attack and later sinks off Romania; two dead, 11 rescued
- Drones strike HS Dignity and Chelsea 3 off Bulgaria; 11 HS Dignity crew reported missing
- Yara J catches fire in Romanian territorial waters; crew rescued and accounted for
- Drone briefly enters Romanian airspace southeast of Sulina before disappearing from radar
- Fire breaks out aboard the Wine Trader near Sulina with 12 people on board
Bulgaria, Ukraine and the response
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Russia was likely responsible for the 13 October strikes, and Sofia summoned the Russian ambassador, although Bulgarian authorities said they had no clear evidence of who carried out the attacks. Radev made his argument to the Russian ambassador in Sofia, saying:
it makes no sense for Ukraine to destroy its own ships in the Black Sea
Ukraine has blamed Russia, and Moscow had not commented in the reports reviewed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the Black Sea as a further theatre of escalation in Russia's war in Ukraine. Radev is seeking help from NATO and the EU and wants talks with Romania and Turkey on shipping safety.
Greece and the Security Council
Greece's Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes near Bulgaria's coast in a post on X, warning that they endanger lives and threaten maritime security in the Black Sea. The ministry stressed that international law, including the law of the sea, is central, expressed solidarity with Sofia and praised the speed of the rescue services. It urged that those responsible face consequences but named no culprit. Athens has close ties with Sofia. Greece holds the UN Security Council presidency in October and, earlier that month, backed Kyiv's push for a council session on Russian strikes.