Following a fire that broke out overnight on two tankers in Romania’s territorial waters in the Black Sea, rescue teams continued their search for seven crew members on the 15th of October, reports Reuters.Russian drones were also spotted in Romanian airspace overnight. Although Romanian officials did not explicitly link the fires on the ships to the drones, the incidents follow a series of drone strikes on at least five merchant vessels near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria over the past ten days. At least 23 crew members have gone missing in those incidents.The two vessels that caught fire overnight were anchored in the Black Sea near the canal leading to the Danube. This waterway is vital to Ukraine, especially as Russia continues its attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Romania reported that a distress signal was received from the Wine Trader, a vessel sailing under the flag of San Marino. Five of its 12 crew members have been rescued, while a search is underway for the remaining seven. Romania has deployed two Black Hawk helicopters and two vessels carrying medical personnel to assist in the rescue operation. Rescue efforts are currently hampered by difficult conditions, with high waves at sea. Earlier, late on the evening of the 14th of October, the chemical and oil tanker Yara J., sailing under the flag of the Comoros, caught fire. All crew members are safe.Romania shares a 614-kilometer border with Ukraine – a large portion of which consists of the Danube River – and there have been regular reports over the past four years of Russian drones entering the country’s airspace. Both the Wine Trader and the Yara J caught fire near the mouth of the Danube’s Sulina Canal into the Black Sea. This is an area where vessels frequently anchor to await clearance to proceed, often due to adverse conditions or congestion.The increasing frequency of attacks on Black Sea trade routes – linked to the war in Ukraine – has heightened concerns over an international food crisis in recent months, as Russia, Ukraine, and Romania are all major exporters of grain. Romanian official Oana Toiu stated this week that while the Black Sea serves as a vital transit route for international food supplies, it has unfortunately become the deadliest sea – underscoring the urgent need to invest in its protection.Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that he intends to discuss a potential moratorium on attacks against civilian vessels with European Union leaders on the 15th of October.
Two ships catch fire in Romanian territorial waters
