Eight missing after two tankers catch fire in Romanian Black Sea waters

October 16 ------ Eight crew members are missing after two chemical tankers caught fire overnight in Romanian territorial waters in the Black Sea, Romanian officials said, amid heightened security concerns following repeated drone incidents in the region.

The San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader issued an emergency alert to Romania’s naval authority. Four of its 12 crew members were rescued, while eight remained missing as search and rescue operations continued. A second vessel, the Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J, also caught fire near the mouth of the Danube River’s Sulina Canal. All crew members were reported safe. Romanian authorities initially said it was unclear whether the vessel had been attacked.

The incidents occurred near the entrance to the Sulina Canal, a key shipping route connecting the Danube River with the Black Sea, where vessels frequently anchor while awaiting passage due to weather conditions and congestion. Romanian officials did not explicitly link the fires to Russian drones that had strayed into Romanian airspace. However, the incidents follow drone strikes on at least five other cargo ships near the coasts of Romania and neighboring Bulgaria over the previous 10 days. Those attacks, which occurred outside NATO territorial waters, reportedly resulted in at least 23 sailors being lost.

Growing risks to Black Sea shipping

The latest incidents underscore the growing risks to commercial shipping in the Black Sea as the Russia-Ukraine war continues to affect maritime operations and regional trade. Romania shares a 614-km border with Ukraine and has repeatedly reported Russian drone incursions into its airspace. Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports have increased Kyiv’s reliance on Danube River ports and shipping routes close to the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts.

The escalating threats to shipping also raise concerns about global food supplies, as both Russia and Ukraine are major grain exporters. Ukraine has also targeted Russian vessels near the mouth of the Don River in the Sea of Azov.

Source: safety4sea.com