Three commercial ships were hit by drones in the Sulina area on Saturday evening and during the night into Sunday, Romanian authorities confirmed. The incidents occurred in Romania’s territorial waters near the Danube Delta. There have been no reports of sailors being killed or injured.
The first strike was carried out at around 21:10 against the Greek tanker Evia Petrol V, approximately 4 nautical miles east-southeast of Sulina. A fire broke out on board, but it was brought under control by the crew.
At around 21:45, a drone also hit the bulk carrier Marsol, located about 5 nautical miles southeast of the Sulina Canal. A fire also broke out in this incident, but the crew managed to extinguish it.
A third incident was confirmed later. The commercial ship Ali Najafov reported that it had been hit by a drone overnight near the mouths of the Danube. A fire also broke out on board, but the sailors brought it under control.
Romanian Air Force scrambled F-16s
Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said that the Defence Ministry’s radars had detected aerial targets in the area. In response, the Romanian Air Force scrambled F-16 fighter jets twice.
“These incidents are unacceptable and constitute a violation of international law,” Niculescu said.According to him, the attacks are linked to the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea due to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The prime minister said that the Romanian government would work with its allies to strengthen security in the region.
Residents of Tulcea County received warning messages about the possible fall of drone debris. The Defence Ministry did not say who was behind the strikes.
Series of incidents off the Romanian coast
The three strikes near Sulina followed an incident on Friday evening. The ship Larissa 1, sailing under the flag of Palau and bound for Ukraine, was hit by a drone near Sfântu Gheorghe. A cargo crane was damaged, but there was no fire and no crew members were injured.
Defence Minister Ștefan-Radu Oprea said he would raise the issue of security in the Black Sea at the meeting of European Union defence ministers in Brussels on November 17 and 18. Romania will request support for air patrols, counter-drone systems, training and information sharing.
Sources: internazionale.it, hotnews.ro