Seven sailors missing after drones hit two tankers off Romania’s coast
Rescuers searched on Thursday for seven missing sailors after drones struck two chemical tankers near Romania’s Black Sea coast, setting them ablaze and raising fresh fears over a vital shipping route used by Ukraine. The Black Sea drone attacks mark a sharp escalation in the campaign against commercial shipping in the region.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan said the two ships had been struck by drones but declined to say whether Russia was responsible, while a Nato military source said the drones came from Russia. “The drones that caused the fires on board two tankers inside Romanian territorial waters were of Russian origin,” the Nato source said.
The two vessels were anchored near the mouth of the Sulina canal leading into the Danube River, a major export route used by Ukraine since Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. The missing crew were among 12 sailors aboard the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader, which was hit 13 nautical miles southeast of the Sulina canal, one mile outside Romanian waters. Five crew members were rescued, Romanian officials said.
The second vessel, the Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J, caught fire after being struck 8 to 10 miles southeast of Sulina, inside Romanian waters, late on Wednesday. All crew were safe.
Black Sea drone attacks: a pattern of strikes on shipping
The attacks are the latest in a series of strikes on commercial shipping in the western Black Sea. At least five other cargo vessels have been hit near the coasts of Romania and neighbouring Nato member Bulgaria over the past 10 days, with at least 23 sailors reported missing or dead. Those attacks occurred outside Nato territorial waters.
“The situation in the Black Sea is serious,” Romania’s Dan said. “Commercial ships are being attacked and sunk. Seafarers killed, injured, and missing, very close to the shores of Romania and Bulgaria. Lives, global trade, and critical infrastructure are at stake.”
The interior ministry said it had sent two Black Hawk helicopters to the search and rescue mission, as well as two ships with medical staff on board. “At the moment, the rescue cannot be done safely because of very big waves,” it said in a statement.
Nato said it was in contact with Romanian officials. It added that two other vessels had been targeted in the Black Sea overnight: the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Sea Destiny inside Romanian waters and the Tanzanian-flagged tanker Dania J, moored in the Ukrainian Danube port of Izmail. It did not mention casualties.
“Nato will continue to work closely with our Allies in the Black Sea, adjusting our deterrence and defence posture as needed,” Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said after meeting Dan and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev on Thursday.
Why it matters for Pakistan
Romania shares a 614-kilometre border with Ukraine, much of it along the Danube, and has repeatedly reported Russian drone incursions into its airspace since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The escalating attacks on Black Sea shipping have heightened concerns over grain exports from the region.
For Pakistan, the pattern is painfully familiar: commercial shipping is now under drone attack in two theatres at once. Near the Strait of Hormuz, two ships sank after being hit by projectiles, a Hormuz ship-sinking spawned viral iPhone footage claims, and boxes of iPhones washed up after a cargo sinking. At the diplomatic level, Pakistan condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia at the UN Security Council this week.
Frequently asked questions
How many sailors are missing after the Black Sea drone attacks?
Seven sailors are missing from the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader, which was hit 13 nautical miles southeast of the Sulina canal. Five of the 12 crew were rescued.
Which ships were hit?
The Wine Trader (San Marino-flagged) and the Yara J (Comoros-flagged) were set ablaze. Two more vessels, the Sea Destiny and the Dania J, were targeted overnight with no casualties reported.
Who does Nato blame?
A Nato military source said the drones were of Russian origin. Romanian President Nicusor Dan confirmed the strikes but declined to attribute them directly.
