In brief
The tanker "Wine Trader" suffered a blaze and explosions 13 nmi east of the Danube mouth on Thursday morning, reportedly after being hit by two drones. Eight crew members remain missing, and Romanian authorities are conducting a high‑risk search with helicopters and boats. The incident comes amid a spate of drone strikes on merchant ships in the western Black Sea, prompting calls for NATO Article 4 consultations and a naval ceasefire. Both sides in the Russia‑Ukraine conflict blame each other for escalating attacks on civilian vessels.
The San Marino‑flagged tanker "Wine Trader" was sailing from Tunisia to Romania when it reported explosions and a spreading fire 13 nautical miles east of the Danube estuary in Sulina on Thursday morning. Romanian naval forces confirmed that the blaze was likely caused by two Russian drones that struck the vessel before it was engulfed.
Of the ship’s 12 crew, eight remain missing. Rescue teams from the Romanian interior ministry have deployed two Black‑Hawk helicopters and two rescue boats to the site amid rough seas, with officials prioritising the isolation of the four survivors still aboard.
This incident is part of a growing pattern of drone‑assaults on merchant vessels in the western Black Sea. Earlier this week, a cargo ship heading to Odesa was struck, and a vessel off the coast of Bulgaria sank after a drone attack, raising France’s and Bulgaria’s suspicions of Russian involvement.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev are scheduled to meet today to discuss whether NATO’s Article 4 should be invoked, allowing allies to consult on perceived security threats. Ukraine’s leadership has accused Russia of targeting civilian and dual‑use cargo, while Russia states it is striking ships that supply weapons to Ukrainian forces.
The international community, including the European Commission, has called for a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea, which Russia has repeatedly rejected. As the search continues, the safety of rescue crews and the fate of the missing remain uncertain amid continuing geopolitical tensions.
