Drone Attack Hits Two Tankers off Romania's Black Sea Coast

An Italian-owned chemical tanker, the Wine Trader (ex-Dutch Mate), was struck by a drone in the Black Sea and caught fire, according to reports released on October 15, 2026. The incident left several crew members missing, which could raise the number of maritime casualties since the start of the war in Ukraine to more than 90.

According to Romanian authorities, the San Marino-flagged Wine Trader issued a distress call to Romania's naval authority. Of the 12 crew members on board, four were rescued while eight remained missing, according to an initial report. A second vessel, the Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J, also caught fire near the mouth of the Sulina Channel on the Danube River, although its entire crew was reported safe. Both incidents occurred in an area where vessels typically anchor while awaiting clearance to transit, due to weather and congestion.

Later reports adjusted the figure for the Wine Trader's missing crew: seven crew members remained unaccounted for and five had been rescued out of the 12 on board, according to Romanian authorities. The vessel was reportedly hit 13 nautical miles southeast of the Sulina Channel, one mile outside Romanian waters, while the Yara J caught fire between 8 and 10 nautical miles southeast of Sulina, within national waters.

Romanian President Nicusor Dan confirmed that both vessels were struck by drones, though he did not specify whether they were of Russian origin, and said there would be a response from the Romanian state. The Interior Ministry deployed two Black Hawk helicopters and two vessels with medical personnel for the search, though it noted that rescue operations could not be carried out safely due to heavy swells. NATO said it was in contact with Romanian officials and noted that two other vessels had also been targeted overnight: the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Sea Destiny and the Tanzanian-flagged tanker Dania J, moored at the Ukrainian port of Izmail on the Danube.

These incidents add to drone attacks recorded over the past ten days against at least five other cargo vessels near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, which reportedly resulted in the loss of at least 23 seafarers. Romania, which shares a 614-kilometer border with Ukraine, has reported repeated incursions by Russian drones into its airspace. The growing threat to shipping in the Black Sea is raising concerns over global food supply, given that both Russia and Ukraine are major grain exporters, while Kyiv increasingly relies on Danube ports and routes near the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts.