Black Sea Drone Attacks Set Tankers Ablaze, Leave 7 Sailors Missing as Romania and Bulgaria Blame Russia

Romania has formally blamed Russia for drone attacks on ships near its Black Sea coast and is demanding that Moscow pay for the damage, while pushing for a joint NATO command to protect the sea. Under the plan, NATO member states on the sea would take turns leading the command, and Romania says it is ready to host it starting in 2028 [1].

Seven sailors are missing after drones struck two chemical tankers, the Wine Trader and the Yara J, near Romania's Black Sea coast. The attack set both ships on fire and raised new security concerns on a key shipping route used by Ukraine. A NATO military source told Reuters the drones were of Russian origin, and Romania's president said attacking commercial ships "is unacceptable and has to stop" [4]. Rescuers searched on Thursday for the seven missing sailors, and Romanian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Nicolae Stefanuta warned that "sooner or later we will have European casualties" [6].

In neighboring Bulgaria, drone attacks struck merchant ships near its Black Sea coast, prompting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to condemn the strikes. Fifteen crew members were rescued from a Maltese-flagged vessel, five of whom received medical assistance, and Bulgarian authorities opened an investigation into where the drones came from [5]. Bulgaria later summoned Russia's ambassador after a merchant ship sank in the Black Sea overnight, an attack Sofia blames on a drone. Six crew members were rescued and ten others were still missing; the ship went down in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, and Bulgaria called the attack a violation of international law [7]. Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov said "logic suggests the outcome works to the advantage of the Russian Federation" [3].

The attacks are the latest in a series of strikes off the coasts of Romania and nearby Bulgaria in recent weeks, with several vessels hit, and officials suspect the attacks are tied to the war in Ukraine [8]. Ukraine has intensified its campaign against Russia's Black Sea exports since this summer, and Russia is now targeting civilian ships off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, with the burning vessels marking the latest phase of the escalating maritime conflict [9].

India has called on Russia and Ukraine to guarantee the safety of commercial ships in the Black Sea after the attacks put Indian sailors at risk, with New Delhi urging both Moscow and Kyiv to protect civilian shipping in the region [2].