Eight crew missing in tanker fire off Romania’s coast

Eight of 12 crew members are missing after a tanker caught fire off Romania’s Black Sea coast on Thursday, with unconfirmed reports that the vessel was struck by drones during a surge of attacks in the region.

Romanian naval authorities said the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader reported explosions and a fire on Thursday morning. The ship was about 13 nautical miles (24km) east of Sulina, the Romanian port at the mouth of the River Danube, when the incident was reported.

Rescue efforts were under way, but by the evening eight crew members had not been accounted for. No further details were immediately released about the four other crew members or the condition of the vessel.

The cause of the fire has not been officially confirmed. However, nearby ships reported that the tanker had been hit by two drones, and the western Black Sea has seen a series of drone attacks over the past two weeks.

Overnight, Russian drones were detected not far from the scene, close to Ukraine’s Snake Island. That small island, located near the Danube delta, has played a recurring role in the conflict and sits close to busy shipping lanes used by civilian vessels.

The incident follows a similar attack on Tuesday, when two merchant ships were struck by drones further south along the coast of Bulgaria, Romania’s NATO and European Union neighbour. One of those vessels sank. Bulgaria said it suspected Russia was behind the attack and summoned the country’s envoy.

The latest cases highlight the growing danger facing commercial shipping in the western Black Sea. The region is a key corridor for grain, oil and other goods, and the Danube route through Sulina is especially important for Ukrainian agricultural exports. Disruption along that route can quickly affect global food supply chains and prices.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Black Sea has become a volatile and heavily militarised area. Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukrainian port infrastructure, including facilities near the Romanian border, while Kyiv has in turn struck Russian vessels and naval targets. Despite international efforts to keep grain exports moving, the security situation has remained fragile.

Romania and Bulgaria, both NATO members, have increasingly felt the spillover effects of the war. Their territorial waters are close to active conflict zones, and the threat of drones, mines and stray attacks has forced commercial shipping companies to reassess their operations.

Insurance costs for vessels transiting the region have risen sharply, and some carriers have chosen to avoid the area altogether. Maritime analysts say repeated attacks on merchant ships could push more trade to longer and more expensive routes, adding pressure to global supply chains.

Thursday’s incident also raises new questions about the protection of civilian vessels in the Black Sea. While NATO countries have called for greater surveillance and support for commercial traffic, the vast coastline and the spread of drone technology have made attacks difficult to prevent.

Romanian authorities have not assigned blame for the fire, and no immediate claim of responsibility has been reported. Investigators were expected to examine both the technical condition of the tanker and the possibility of an external attack. The nationality and full details of the crew had not been confirmed at the time of reporting.