Tanker catches fire in Romania's waters as Black Sea drone incidents mount
A Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker anchored in Romania's territorial waters caught fire on Oct. 15, and its crew was evacuated. The vessel was identified as the Yara J. Romanian Defence Minister Radu Miruta said it was unclear whether a drone had hit the ship. Al Jazeera
An investigation into whether drones were involved was pending on Oct. 15. On the same date, multiple drones breached Romanian airspace near the country's border with Ukraine.
On Oct. 6, two ships were hit in a drone attack in Bulgaria's Black Sea exclusive economic zone, the offshore area where Bulgaria holds economic rights. One ship sank and the other was damaged. The crew of the damaged ship were rescued, while the crew of the sunken ship remain missing. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said there was no clear evidence of who carried out the attack off Bulgaria's coast. Radev said the Russian ambassador would be summoned over the attack. Al Jazeera
Earlier in October, a grain ship caught fire and sank outside Romania's territorial waters. Two people were killed and 11 others were rescued. Ukraine blamed Russian drones for the sinking. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the vessel was carrying corn and was owned by Turkiye. The vessel was identified as the Royad Mammadov. US News
Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova said she would invite Romania and Turkiye to consultations on ensuring the security of merchant ships in the Black Sea.
