Romania Holds Russia Responsible as Attacks on 4 Black Sea Merchant Ships Kill 8

Romania holds Russia fully responsible for the latest wave of strikes on civilian vessels in the Black Sea that has left eight people dead over the last 24 hours.

In a statement on Thursday, Oct. 15, acting Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu said the commercial shipping vessels were struck in Romania’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, accusing Moscow of turning the sea into a danger zone for civilian ships as part of its war against Ukraine.

“These are callous and murderous attacks against civilians,” Țoiu said. “Russia bears full responsibility for these developments.”

Search for missing crews continues

The latest attack struck a civilian ship in Romania’s exclusive economic zone on Thursday morning.

The vessel, named the Wine Trader, reported a fire at around 7:00 am (0400 GMT), approximately 13 nautical miles southeast of the Romanian city of Sulina, the Romanian Naval Authority said in a press release.

Air and naval units from the Romanian Coast Guard and the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, both under the Interior Ministry, are still searching for crew members who remain missing.

Five sailors were airlifted by helicopter and taken to a hospital in Constanța, all in stable condition. Some are being for burn injuries and smoke inhalation, according to Țoiu.

At least 163 civilian and commercial vessels were hit in the Black Sea during the first eight months of this year, according to Turkey’s IMEAK chamber of shipping.

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Drones frequently in Romanian airspace

Țoiu said the maritime attacks coincide with a growing number of Russian Shahed and other aerial and maritime drones entering Romanian territory, with three such incursions recorded on Thursday alone.

The Romanian military fighter jets were scrambled for preventive air policing.

While the investigations are still underway, Bucharest confirmed that NATO allies and European partners have been informed of the attacks.

Romania would continue work to strengthen the alliance’s collective ability to respond to such incidents and bolster its deterrence and defense posture.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will convene the North Atlantic Council within days, following a meeting with Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Țoiu said.

She also renewed Romania’s call for a ceasefire in the Black Sea to restore safe navigation along a key route for global food trade.

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Dan announced that he held a telephone discussion with Bulgaria’s President Iliana Iotova regarding the recent drone attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea off the Bulgarian coast, as well as other incidents that affected infrastructure and shipping in Romanian waters.

“These drone attacks are direct consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and endanger not only shipping in our region but also vital agricultural supplies to other continents,” he said, echoing President Volodymyr Zelensky’s repeated warnings that the strikes could cause a serious global food problem, particularly in the Middle East and Africa.

The latest strikes come as Russia escalates its hostile rhetoric toward the West and steps up hybrid warfare across Europe, from frequent cyberattacks to drone sightings that have disrupted airports and commercial flights, prompting several EU member states to warn that Moscow is already waging a direct war against the continent.

Sybiha: ‘Freedom of navigation is not negotiable’

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strikes and urged European allies for stronger protection of the freedom of navigation in the Black Sea.

He reaffirmed support for Romania and warned that Russia was essentially turning the Black Sea into a zone of danger for civilian shipping, with its reckless actions threatening international trade and global food security.

“Freedom of navigation is not negotiable,” Sybiha warned. “Russia must not be allowed to dictate the rules through deception and force. Together, we must ensure that the Black Sea remains open, safe and free.”

Romania expels Russian diplomat due to repeated drone incursions

During the night of May 28-29, a Russian drone struck an apartment building in Galați, a southeastern Romanian city near the Ukrainian border, triggering a fire and injuring two people.

Romania responded to what Dan called the most serious security incident on Romanian territory since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine by expelling Russia’s consul general in Constanța and closing its consulate.

On June 26, Russia announced the closure of Romania’s mission in St. Petersburg and expelled its consul general in retaliation for Bucharest’s decision.

Almost exactly a month later, Romania ordered a Russian embassy employee to be expelled in what its foreign ministry called a “firm response” to drones repeatedly breaching its airspace.

The move came after Romanian forces shot down three drones over the weekend, the last of which was intercepted by a Romanian F-16 fighter jet over the country’s territorial waters near the Sulina-Chilia area on Sunday morning, July 26.

The interception marked the third such incident over the course of three consecutive days.

On Aug. 20, a Romanian F-16 fighter destroyed an explosives-laden marine drone near the strategic Neptun Deep gas project. Bucharest again held Russia responsible for the incident.

A Russian drone violated NATO airspace on September 13, prompting Romania to scramble F-16 fighter jets.

Zelensky claimed the drone penetrated “about 10 kilometers into Romanian territory and operated in NATO airspace for around 50 minutes,” adding that the drone’s route was “always calculated” and not a “coincidence, a mistake, or the initiative of some lower-level commanders.”

Moldovan President Maia Sandu had said the same about the repeated drone incursion over Moldova’s airspace, claiming that some drones entering the country’s airspace are not accidental strays, but rather deliberately sent there by Russia.