Romanian authorities reported fires on tankers anchored in the country’s Black Sea waters, with the incidents under investigation amid drone activity near the border with Ukraine. Al Jazeera reported Wednesday that the crew of the Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J was evacuated. The New York Post reported Thursday that two chemical tankers caught fire overnight and that seven sailors from one vessel were missing.
Defence Minister Radu Miruta said it was unclear whether a drone struck the Yara J, according to Al Jazeera. Romanian officials did not explicitly connect the fires to drones, the New York Post reported, though it said drones had entered Romanian airspace. Al Jazeera said two ships were hit off Bulgaria on Tuesday, one sinking. Ars Technica reported that five ships had been attacked in NATO members’ exclusive economic zones and that requests had been made for counter-drone systems.