The fire-damaged "Royad Mammadov" ship in the Black Sea after a fire aboard the vessel outside Romania's territorial waters left two people dead and prompted a rescue operation in which others were rescued, in this handout image released on Oct 5, 2026. Romanian Interior Ministry/Handout via REUTERS
Published : 15 Oct 2026, 02:46 PM
Updated : 15 Oct 2026, 02:46 PM
Rescuers were searching on Thursday for eight missing crew members from a chemical tanker that caught fire overnight in Romanian territorial waters in the Black Sea, after Russian drones strayed into Romanian airspace, officials said.
Romanian officials stopped short of directly linking the fires to the drones. However, the incidents follow strikes on at least five other cargo ships near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria over the past 10 days, in which at least 23 sailors were lost.
The two tankers were anchored near the mouth of the Sulina Canal, which connects the Danube River to the Black Sea. The waterway is a key shipping route for Ukraine as Russia continues to attack its Black Sea ports.
Romania's naval authority said it received an emergency alert from the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader. Eight of its 12 crew members were missing, while the other four were safe.
The Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J also caught fire earlier, but all its crew members were safe. Romanian authorities initially said it was unclear whether the vessel had been attacked.
Romania shares a 614km border with Ukraine, much of it along the Danube, and has reported repeated Russian drone incursions into its airspace over the past four years.
Ships often anchor near the Sulina Canal while waiting to pass through, due to weather delays and congestion.
Increasing attacks on Black Sea shipping linked to the Russia-Ukraine war have raised concerns over global food supplies, as both countries are major grain exporters.
Russia has been bombing Ukraine's Black Sea ports, forcing Kyiv to rely more heavily on Danube River ports and shipping routes near Romania and Bulgaria. Ukraine, meanwhile, has targeted Russian ships near the mouth of the Don River in the Sea of Azov.