Two Ships Ablaze in Romanian Territorial Waters
Two chemical tankers caught fire in Romanian territorial waters in the Black Sea on Thursday morning (10/15/2026). Romania's naval authority received an emergency alert from the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader, which reported explosions and a fire about 13 nautical miles (24 kilometers) east of the Danube River mouth at Sulina.
Eight of the Wine Trader's 12 crew were reported missing, with four safe. Officials later said seven sailors remained missing and five had been rescued. Romania's interior ministry sent two Black Hawk helicopters and two ships with medical staff to the scene, but the rescue operation was hampered by very large waves.
Earlier, the Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J also caught fire late Wednesday (10/14/2026). Romanian authorities initially said it was not clear whether the ship had been attacked. All of the Yara J's crew were safe and evacuated. Both ships were anchored near the mouth of the Sulina Canal, where vessels often queue because of bad weather and traffic congestion.
Russian Drones Strayed Into Romanian Airspace
Romanian officials said Russian drones strayed into Romanian airspace on the night of the incident. But the officials stopped short of explicitly linking the fires aboard the ships to the drones.
There were unconfirmed reports from nearby ships that the Wine Trader was hit by two drones. Swarms of Russian drones were also detected overnight near Ukraine's Snake Island, not far from Thursday's fire. Romania's defense minister said it was unclear whether the Yara J had been hit by a drone and that an investigation was pending.
Romania shares a 614-kilometer border with Ukraine, much of it along the Danube, and has reported repeated breaches of its airspace by Russian drones over the past four years.
String of Attacks Over 10 Days, 23 Sailors Lost
The incidents follow drone strikes on at least five other cargo ships near the coasts of Romania and fellow NATO member Bulgaria over the past 10 days. At least 23 sailors were killed or lost in those strikes, which unlike the latest incidents took place just outside NATO's territorial waters.
On Tuesday, two merchant ships were struck by drones further south along the coast of Bulgaria, and one of the vessels sank. Bulgaria said it suspected Russia was behind that attack and summoned the Russian envoy.
Increasing attacks on Black Sea shipping connected with the Russia-Ukraine war in recent months have threatened to cause a global food crisis, as both countries are major exporters of grain. The Sulina Canal is a major shipping route used by Ukraine after Russia attacked Ukraine's own Black Sea ports.
