Drone Hits Romania Tanker Wine Trader, Seven Crew Missing — SkimNews
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- Romanian authorities launched rescue operations after a drone struck the San Marino-flagged chemical tanker Wine Trader about 13 nautical miles southeast of Sulina, with five rescued and seven still missing.
- The Wine Trader, traveling from Tunisia to Romania, caught fire in the attack; one rescued person sustained scalp burns, another had mild smoke inhalation, and three others appeared unharmed, according to the Department for Emergency Situations.
- A separate tanker, the Comoros-flagged Yara J, also caught fire in Romanian territorial waters Wednesday evening en route from Turkey to Sulina, though its crew was safe — Romania's acting defence minister said no drone was seen on military radar heading toward it.
- On Tuesday, drone strikes hit two ships off Bulgaria's coast, leaving 11 crew from the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity missing; the Ukrainian-operated, Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3 had all 15 crew evacuated, with five treated for injuries after its deck and hull were hit by three aerial drones.
- Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Russia was likely responsible for the Bulgaria attacks, while Romanian President Nicusor Dan confirmed the Wine Trader was struck by a drone and said there 'will be a reaction from the Romanian state.'
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance has 'strengthened our posture along the eastern flank including with increasing counter-drone capabilities' after meeting with Radev and Dan to discuss Black Sea security.
Why it matters: Drone strikes on commercial shipping in the territorial waters of two NATO and EU member states — with Bulgaria's PM pointing to Russia as the likely culprit — push the Ukraine war's spillover into allied territory and are already triggering NATO to boost counter-drone capabilities on the eastern flank.
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