BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romanian authorities launched search and rescue operations off the Black Sea coast on Thursday after a drone struck a ship, which subsequently caught fire. This incident is part of a series of strikes that have raised concerns about the expansion of the conflict stemming from Russia's war in Ukraine.
Five individuals were rescued from the San Marino-flagged Wine Trader, a chemical tanker traveling from Tunisia to Romania, after it caught fire approximately 13 nautical miles (15 miles) southeast of the port town of Sulina, according to the Romanian Naval Authority. Seven others are still unaccounted for.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan confirmed in Brussels that the cargo vessel was hit by a drone, and noted that another ship was attacked in a separate incident the previous night. However, he did not specify the origin of the drones.
Dan stated, "There will be a reaction from the Romanian state."
Similar drone incursions have been reported this month in the exclusive economic zones of Romania and Bulgaria, both members of NATO and the European Union.
Initial medical assessments indicated that one person rescued from the Wine Trader suffered scalp burns, while another experienced mild smoke inhalation. The remaining three individuals appeared unharmed, as reported by the Department for Emergency Situations.
On Wednesday evening, a fire was also reported on the Comoros-flagged Yara J, a chemical and oil tanker traveling from Turkey to Sulina, Romania, within Romanian territorial waters. The crew of that vessel was reported safe.
Romania's Ministry of National Defense previously stated that a "group of air targets" was monitored overnight near Ukraine's Snake Island, and that a drone briefly entered Romania's airspace at 1:34 a.m. southeast of Sulina, before disappearing from radar.
Romania's acting defense minister, Radu Miruta, indicated that an investigation is ongoing, but no drone was detected on military radars approaching the Yara J.
On Tuesday, drone strikes on two ships off the coast of Bulgaria led to emergency rescue operations for 11 crew members from the HS Dignity, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship, who are still missing. The other vessel, a Ukrainian-operated coastal freighter named Chelsea 3, was sailing under a Maltese flag. Rescuers evacuated all 15 crew members, with five receiving treatment for minor injuries. The crew reported that the ship's deck and hull were struck by three aerial drones.
The incidents on Tuesday, which Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev suggested were likely the result of Russian actions, occurred a week after sea and aerial drones attacked two other commercial vessels in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. A Togo-flagged ship sank, while a Bulgarian ferry evacuated the 18-member crew of a damaged Palau-flagged vessel.
On October 5, a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying corn caught fire following a drone attack and later sank in the Black Sea off Romania's coast, resulting in two fatalities and the rescue of 11 crew members.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated on X that he met with Radev and Dan to discuss security in the Black Sea and the recent attacks on commercial shipping. He noted that NATO has strengthened its posture along the eastern flank, including increasing counter-drone capabilities, and will continue to collaborate with allies in the Black Sea to adjust deterrence and defense measures as necessary.