Romania says 8 people missing after fire on vessel in Black Sea

Romania announced eight individuals are missing following a fire that erupted on a vessel flying the San Marino flag in the Black Sea on Thursday morning. This incident is the latest in a series of drone attacks targeting ships in the disputed waters, which have escalated since the onset of the Ukraine war. The vessel, dubbed the Wine Trader, reported a fire at approximately 7am, located around 13 nautical miles southeast of the Romanian city of Sulina.

The Romanian Naval Authority disclosed that there were 12 people on board the ship; four have been accounted for, while eight remain missing. A search and rescue operation involving a vessel and a helicopter is currently underway. Romanian authorities have not confirmed whether a drone caused the fire. This incident follows a previous investigation into a possible drone attack on a tanker off the Romanian Black Sea coast, reported on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Radu Miruta stated that such incidents occurring within Romanian territorial waters are of significant gravity. Since the beginning of this year, at least 163 civilian and commercial vessels have been hit by drones in the Black Sea, according to Turkey's IMEAK chamber of shipping.