RismadarVoice Reporters
October 15, 2026
Seven sailors have been declared missing after two chemical tankers caught fire near Romania’s Black Sea coast following suspected drone attacks, prompting an emergency rescue operation and renewed concerns over the safety of commercial shipping in the region.
Romanian President Nicușorn Dan confirmed on Thursday that the two vessels were struck by aerial drones but said authorities had not established their origin.
The incidents occurred overnight near the entrance to the Sulina Canal, a major shipping route connecting the Danube River to the Black Sea.
One tanker was anchored within Romanian territorial waters, while the other was positioned just outside the country’s maritime boundary.
Romania’s naval authorities said the San Marino-flagged tanker, Wine Trader, issued an emergency alert after being struck approximately 13 nautical miles southeast of the Sulina Canal.
Of the 12 crew members aboard the vessel, five were rescued, while seven remained missing.
The Romanian Interior Ministry deployed two Black Hawk helicopters and two vessels carrying medical personnel to support search-and-rescue operations.
However, authorities said severe waves were preventing rescuers from safely reaching some areas around the affected vessel.
The second tanker, Yara J, registered in Comoros, caught fire late Wednesday approximately eight to 10 nautical miles southeast of Sulina, within Romanian waters.
Authorities confirmed that all crew members aboard the vessel were safe.
Both tankers were reportedly carrying no cargo when the incidents occurred.
President Dan, speaking ahead of a European Union leaders’ summit in Brussels, said Romania would respond to the attacks but stressed that investigations were still underway.
NATO also confirmed that it was communicating with Romanian authorities over the incidents.
The alliance reported that two additional vessels had been targeted overnight: the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Sea Destiny, in Romanian waters, and the Tanzanian-flagged tanker Dania J, at Ukraine’s Danube port of Izmail.
No casualties were immediately reported in connection with those two vessels.
The latest incidents followed a series of drone strikes against commercial ships near Romania and Bulgaria, both NATO member states.
At least five other cargo vessels had reportedly been attacked in the preceding 10 days, with 23 sailors reported lost.
The attacks have heightened concerns over maritime security in the Black Sea, where commercial vessels continue to operate amid the Russia-Ukraine war.
Romania shares a 614-kilometre border with Ukraine and has repeatedly reported incursions into its airspace by Russian drones since the conflict began.
Russia has continued attacking Ukrainian Black Sea port infrastructure, increasing Ukraine’s reliance on Danube shipping routes close to Romanian and Bulgarian waters.
Ukraine has also conducted attacks against Russian vessels in the wider region.
Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu warned that growing threats to commercial shipping could disrupt international food supplies, given the importance of the Black Sea to grain exports.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said European Union leaders would discuss a proposed suspension of attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance would continue coordinating with member states in the region and adjust its defensive arrangements where necessary.
Rescue operations for the seven missing sailors remained ongoing, while Romanian authorities continued investigating the circumstances and origin of the reported drone strikes.
