NATO confirms Russian drones struck two tankers inside Romanian waters as seven sailors remain missing
Damage to the Wine Trader's upper structure, after the San Marino-flagged tanker caught fire off Romania, leaving eight of its 12 crew members missing.Romanian rescuers are searching for eight missing sailors after the San Marino-flagged chemical tanker Wine Trader caught fire in territorial waters, with a second vessel also ablaze at the same Danube canal mouth…
Seven sailors remain unaccounted for after Russian drones ignited two chemical tankers in Romanian territorial waters in the Black Sea, with a NATO military source telling Reuters the attacks on the Wine Trader and the Yara J were definitively of Russian origin. Romanian president Nicușor Dan described the strikes as "unacceptable" following talks with NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte and Bulgaria's prime minister, with all three committing to bolster Black Sea defences. The North Atlantic Council will take up the escalation at a meeting next week.
The strikes are the latest in a series targeting at least seven cargo ships near NATO members Romania and Bulgaria this month, leaving at least 25 sailors dead or missing in total.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev told Bulgaria's parliament that Russia is the only logical culprit, arguing the attacks serve Moscow's interests — while conceding that definitive proof is out of reach.
The EU is to discuss a proposed moratorium on attacks on civilian Black Sea shipping, as Turkey's shipping chamber reports at least 163 vessels were struck in the first eight months of this year.
