Seven sailors missing after drones strike two tankers off Romania's Black Sea coast

Drones struck two tankers near Romania's Black Sea coast and set them on fire. Seven sailors are missing. The attacks took place on a shipping route used by Ukraine and have raised new security concerns. The Guardian and France 24 both report these facts.

According to The Guardian, the tankers were the Wine Trader and the Yara J. France 24 described both vessels as chemical tankers. The Guardian reported that the missing sailors were crew of the Wine Trader, a San Marino-flagged tanker travelling from Tunisia to Romania. It said the Yara J was struck just inside Romanian territorial waters late on Wednesday, and all of its crew were safe. According to France 24, rescuers were searching for the seven sailors on Thursday.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not give the sailors' nationalities or the outcome of the search. They do not say whether either tanker sank, and they do not describe the cargo or any pollution risk.

A series of attacks

According to The Guardian, drones struck two ships off Bulgaria's coast on Tuesday. Eleven crew members of the HS Dignity, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship, are still missing. Rescuers evacuated all 15 crew members of the Ukrainian-operated, Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, and five were treated for minor injuries. The Guardian, citing Reuters, reported that at least 23 sailors have been reported missing or killed in attacks on commercial shipping near Bulgaria and Romania in the past 10 days.

The Guardian also reported that Russia has stepped up its bombing of Ukraine's Black Sea infrastructure. This has pushed Kyiv to export grain and other goods through Danube ports and through sea routes off Romania and Bulgaria.

What is disputed

The reports do not establish who launched the drones. According to The Guardian, an unnamed NATO military source told Reuters the drones were "of Russian origin". The reports describe no evidence supporting this. The reports also do not include any response from Russia or Ukraine.

What each side says

Romanian President Nicușor Dan said the ships were struck by drones but declined to say whether Russia was responsible, according to The Guardian. On X, he wrote: "Seafarers killed, injured and missing very close to the shores of Romania and Bulgaria. This is unacceptable and it has to stop."

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said, according to The Guardian: "The results of this attack favour Russia. However, we don't have any solid evidence that the drones are Russians." The report does not specify which attack he meant.

Dan said he, Radev and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte agreed on Thursday "to strengthen our defences in the Black Sea". Rutte said NATO would adjust its "deterrence and defence posture as needed." A NATO official said the North Atlantic Council would discuss the issue next week. A draft EU summit declaration calls such attacks "unacceptable" and "a serious violation of international and maritime law".

Romanian MEP Nicolae Stefanuta, speaking with France 24's Europe editor Armen Georgian, said: "it is clear that sooner or later we will have European casualties".

Analysis

The strikes put pressure on a sea corridor that, according to The Guardian, Ukraine increasingly relies on for exports. Several outcomes remain possible. If responsibility is confirmed with evidence, NATO and the EU may face calls for a stronger response. If it stays unclear, governments may keep holding back, as Romania's and Bulgaria's leaders have so far. Shipping costs and insurance on the route could also be affected, although the reports do not address this. The North Atlantic Council meeting and the final EU declaration may show how the allies respond.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.