Three merchant ships were hit by unmanned aerial vehicles near Sulina, in Romania’s territorial waters. Fires broke out on board the vessels after the strikes, but the crews managed to bring them under control. There were no reports of injuries.
Romanian authorities initially reported that two ships had been affected, and later confirmed a third incident. The vessels hit were the chemical tanker EVIAPETROL V, the bulk carrier MARSOL and the product tanker ALI NAJAFOV.
Fires break out on three vessels
EVIAPETROL V is sailing under the Greek flag and is operated by a Greek company. A fire broke out on board after the strike, but the crew extinguished it. The tanker subsequently headed for Piraeus.
MARSOL is registered under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis. A fire also broke out on this ship, but the sailors brought it under control. The vessel headed south but is still near the Romanian coast.
The third ship, ALI NAJAFOV, is also sailing under the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The crew brought the fire under control after the impact, and the vessel left its anchorage on Saturday evening. Footage of the firefighting efforts was released by Maritime.bg.
Area near Sulina declared dangerous
After an airborne target was detected east of Snake Island, two Romanian F-16 fighter jets took off from the 86th Air Base. At 20:51, residents of the eastern part of Tulcea County received a warning via the RO-Alert system.
Romanian authorities declared the area near Sulina dangerous for shipping because of “floating objects coming from the north”. The restricted zone begins south of the entrance to the Sulina Canal, extends approximately 14.5 nautical miles southward and is up to roughly 8.5 miles wide. The measure remains in force until further notice.
“We categorically condemn the latest drone attacks against merchant ships in the Black Sea near the mouths of the Danube. These attacks must stop, as they endanger shipping and commercial traffic,” Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Four ships attacked in two days
Together with the bulk carrier LARISSA 1, which was hit on November 13, the number of merchant ships attacked in the area since Friday has risen to four. LARISSA 1 is located in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone and could be repaired at a Bulgarian shipyard.
For ALI NAJAFOV, this is the second such incident in the area. In 2023, the ship struck a drifting sea mine near the mouth of the Danube, after which it was repaired in Varna. Meanwhile, MARIAM M is drifting off the Romanian coast – a vessel without a crew or cargo which, according to Maritime.bg, moved more than 20 nautical miles closer to Cape Shabla in less than 10 hours.
Sources: nova.bg, maritime.bg