Sailors missing as two ships set ablaze in Romanian Black Sea

On October 16, 2026, Romania resumed searching for seven missing sailors from a chemical tanker, the San Marino-flagged Wine Trader, which was hit by a drone near its Black Sea coast. Five crew members were rescued after fires broke out on board two tankers in Romanian waters over a span of about 12 hours. The Yara J, a Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker struck inside Romanian territorial waters on October 14, had its unharmed crew towed to the port of Constanța.

Since early October, five commercial ships have been hit in the Black Sea off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria, with about 23 sailors dead or missing. These incidents highlight growing concerns over drone warfare linked to Russia's conflict with Ukraine. Romanian President Nicușor Dan stressed that these attacks endanger shipping near NATO's eastern flank.

NATO and local officials are working on strengthening defenses in the Black Sea region. Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov requested additional combat aircraft and anti-drone systems from NATO, while Romania and Bulgaria have agreed to collaborate closely on countermeasures.