A wave of drone strikes on commercial shipping in the western Black Sea is raising alarm across NATO’s eastern flank. Seven sailors are missing after the San Marino-flagged chemical tanker Wine Trader caught fire about 24 kilometres southeast of Sulina, Romania, early on October 15 — hours after another tanker, the Comoros-flagged Yara J, was set ablaze nearby.
Key takeaways
- Both tankers were hit while anchored near the mouth of the Sulina Canal, which leads to the Danube.
- On October 13, two ships were struck off Bulgaria’s coast and one sank.
- Earlier in October, a grain ship sank outside Romanian waters, killing two people.
What happened off Romania
The Wine Trader was travelling from Tunisia to Romania when it caught fire. Five people were rescued, but seven crew members remain missing, and Romania’s Interior Ministry said rough seas with very large waves made rescue operations dangerous. Romania sent two Black Hawk helicopters and two vessels with medical teams. The crew of the Yara J extinguished the fire on their ship themselves.
Who is responsible?
Neither Romania nor Bulgaria has formally blamed Russia. Romanian President Nicușor Dan said simply that “two drones hit them” and promised a reaction once more information is gathered. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said, “We don’t believe that Ukraine will attack its own ships and crews,” while acknowledging there was no solid evidence that the drones were Russian; he nonetheless summoned Russia’s ambassador. Ukraine has blamed Russian drones for the earlier sinking of a grain vessel.
The Sulina Canal is a lifeline for Ukrainian exports via the Danube — which is why any attack there reverberates far beyond Romania’s coast.
NATO’s response
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met Radev and Dan on October 15. Dan said the alliance would hold a summit on drone incursions into eastern Europe. Romania and Bulgaria are both NATO members, and attacks in or near their waters test how the alliance responds to hybrid threats that fall short of an armed attack on member territory.
Wider consequences
- Insurance and freight: War-risk premiums for Black Sea voyages are likely to rise further.
- Grain exports: Disruption near the Danube could affect Ukrainian food exports already strained by the war.
- Energy: The attacks add to pressure on global energy markets alongside disruptions in the Gulf.
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