Two Chemical Tankers Catch Fire in Romanian Black Sea Waters, Seven Sailors Missing After Drone Sightings

Romanian naval and interior ministry units were searching on 15 October for seven crew members missing from the San Marino-flagged chemical tanker Wine Trader after a fire broke out early that morning inside Romanian territorial waters in the Black Sea.

The vessel, carrying no cargo at the time, reported explosions and fire at about 07:00 local time while anchored roughly 13 nautical miles southeast of Sulina, near the mouth of the Danube. Of the 12 people on board, five were rescued and taken to hospital; one suffered scalp burns and another mild smoke inhalation. Extremely high waves delayed further rescue attempts. A second chemical tanker, the Comoros-flagged Yara J, caught fire the previous evening in the same area; its crew extinguished the blaze and all were reported safe.

Romania’s defence ministry said it detected a group of aerial targets near Snake Island overnight and scrambled two F-18 fighters. A separate drone entered Romanian airspace southeast of Sulina for about one minute before disappearing from radar. Local media and nearby ships reported that the Wine Trader was struck by two drones. Romanian officials have not confirmed the cause and say an investigation is under way. Defence Minister Radu Miruta described the incidents as a matter of significant gravity because they occurred inside NATO territorial waters.

President Nicușor Dan, speaking in Brussels before an EU summit, said Romania would gather full data and that there would be a reaction. He planned to discuss the recent Black Sea drone incidents with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev later in the day. Both Romania and Bulgaria have reported repeated drone incursions and strikes on merchant ships in their exclusive economic zones in recent weeks. At least five other cargo vessels were hit earlier in October, with 23 sailors lost in those earlier attacks outside territorial waters.

The Sulina Canal is a key route for Ukrainian grain exports after Russian strikes closed or damaged Ukraine’s own Black Sea ports. Ships frequently anchor near the mouth waiting for weather or congestion to clear. The latest fires raise the risk that attacks are now occurring inside the territorial waters of NATO members. Romania shares a long Danube border with Ukraine and has recorded multiple airspace violations by Russian drones over the past four years.

Search teams used two Black Hawk helicopters and rescue vessels. Romanian authorities released aerial footage showing extensive damage to the upper structure of the Wine Trader. The ship had sailed from Tunisia and was bound for Sulina. No cargo was aboard either vessel at the time of the incidents, reducing the immediate pollution risk, but the loss of crew and the escalation into NATO waters mark a further spillover of the Ukraine war into commercial shipping lanes.

Western officials have linked the recent Black Sea strikes to Russian forces. Moscow has previously claimed it targeted ships carrying military cargo toward Odesa. The pattern of attacks near the Danube mouth threatens both Ukrainian export routes and the security of two NATO coastal states. Dan’s planned talks with Rutte and Radev indicate that Bucharest and Sofia will seek coordinated responses from the alliance.