Romania resumed its search on Friday for seven sailors missing after a drone strike set the chemical tanker Wine Trader ablaze near its Black Sea coast, the latest in a wave of attacks on commercial shipping off Romania and Bulgaria that has left 23 sailors reported dead or missing over the past 10 days.
The San Marino-flagged Wine Trader was struck early Thursday about a mile outside Romanian territorial waters, with 12 sailors aboard. Five crew members were rescued, but strong winds and rough seas hampered efforts to find the other seven.
“Our colleagues returned today to search the ship and continue the mission to identify the rest of the crew,” an interior ministry spokesperson told Reuters. Officials said a Black Hawk helicopter would place four rescuers aboard the vessel while a ship continued searching nearby waters.
The Wine Trader was one of two tankers hit by drones within about 12 hours near Romania’s Black Sea coast. The second vessel, the Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J, was struck inside Romanian waters late Wednesday. Its crew were unharmed and the ship was towed to the port of Constanta.
NATO flank on edge
Romanian President Nicusor Dan said both ships had been struck by drones. A NATO military source told Reuters the drones came from Russia; President Dan confirmed the strikes but did not publicly attribute them.
Both vessels were anchored near the Sulina canal, which links the Danube River to the Black Sea and is a key export route for Ukraine. Russian attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports have forced Kyiv to rely more heavily on Danube routes near Romania and Bulgaria.
Ships & Ports, a maritime news outlet, reported that two more vessels were also targeted overnight: the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Sea Destiny in Romanian waters and the Tanzanian-flagged tanker Dania J, docked at Ukraine’s Izmail port.
The attacks have pushed Bulgaria to formally ask NATO to deploy combat aircraft and anti-drone systems to bolster its defences in the Black Sea, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said Friday. Earlier this week a commercial vessel sank off Bulgaria’s coast after a drone attack, prompting Sofia to summon Russia’s ambassador.
“We have sent letters and a request to the NATO Secretary General and the Supreme Allied Commander, urging them to strengthen our capabilities, which also means deploying additional forces on our territory. We are awaiting their decision,” Stoyanov said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev and President Dan on Thursday, saying afterwards that NATO would “continue to work closely with our Allies in the Black Sea, adjusting our deterrence and defence posture as needed.” A NATO official said ambassadors from the alliance’s 32 member states would discuss Bulgaria’s request next week. Bulgaria has also proposed a moratorium on attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea and expects to join a NATO anti-drone initiative by the end of October.
Sources: Reuters; Ships & Ports (shipsandports.com.ng).
