Romania will react to the attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea, but first all data on the latest incident near Sulina must be collected. This was stated by President Nikusor Dan in Brussels, after a fire broke out on the Wine Trader on October 15.
The ship, flying the flag of San Marino, was about 13 nautical miles southeast of Sulina, in Romanian territorial waters. There were 12 people on board. Five sailors were rescued and taken to hospital, while seven are missing. According to Romanian authorities, the vessel was not carrying cargo.
Nikușor Dan said the ship was hit by a drone, but at this point Bucharest has not officially announced who was behind the attack. "I don't want to rush, but it won't be long before we present definitive data," the president said. He added that Romania needs equipment to protect a NATO country along the Danube and in the Black Sea.
Bucharest accuses Moscow
Foreign Minister Oana Coișu took a harder line. She said Russia was turning the Black Sea into a dangerous zone for civilian shipping and that "the murder of merchant sailors is a crime." According to her, Russia bears full responsibility for the development of the situation.
Tsoiu pointed out that in the past 24 hours, four merchant ships have been attacked, and eight people have died. The Romanian Foreign Ministry is demanding a ceasefire in the Black Sea to eliminate risks to civilian ships and restore safe navigation along the route, which is important for food exports.
A meeting of the North Atlantic Council is expected to be convened in the coming days to discuss the incidents. Dan also reported that Romania and Bulgaria are discussing additional proposals for European solutions, including strengthening security teams in the Black Sea and creating a civil protection center.
Opposition and analysts want tougher measures
The opposition Alliance for the Unity of Romanians has demanded that the government present a common security and response plan in the Black Sea within 30 days. According to the party, the document should unite maritime defense, shipping safety and energy infrastructure protection. AUR also insists on a common assessment of the readiness of institutions, as well as a public presentation of the non-confidential results.
Military analyst Sandu Valentin Mateu warned on Romanian public television that the series of attacks showed an escalation. He said that both Russia and Ukraine had started attacking merchant ships without declaring a naval blockade. “Direct attack is not allowed”, Mateu said, pointing out that international law allows limited actions only under clearly defined military and procedural conditions.
On October 13, the ship Dignity sank off the coast of Bulgaria, leaving 11 sailors missing. The other attacked vessel, Chelsea 3, was evacuated without casualties. A day later, a fire broke out on the Yara J near Sulina. Romanian authorities continue the rescue operation for the seven missing sailors from the Wine Trader.
Sources: digi24.ro, agerpres.ro, tvrinfo.ro