Two ships ablaze in Romanian Black Sea waters, seven sailors missing
SPY•Two chemical tankers caught fire overnight in Romanian territorial waters; seven crew members from the Wine Trader were missing after five others were rescued. All crew aboard the Yara J were safe.
1. Search for missing crew
Rescuers were searching for seven crew members from the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader after it caught fire near the mouth of the Danube River’s Sulina Canal. Five of its 12 crew members were rescued. Romania sent two Black Hawk helicopters and two ships with medical staff, but very large waves prevented a safe rescue, the interior ministry said.
2. Second tanker catches fire
The Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J also caught fire late Wednesday. All its crew were safe. Romanian authorities stopped short of linking either fire to Russian drones, which had strayed into Romanian airspace.
3. Shipping risks
The fires follow drone strikes on at least five other cargo ships near Romania and Bulgaria over the previous 10 days, in which at least 23 sailors were lost. Officials said growing attacks on Black Sea shipping threaten a global food supply, as Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian ports have pushed Kyiv to rely more on Danube River ports and nearby shipping routes.
