Romania investigates tanker fire in Black Sea as drone concerns mount

A commercial tanker caught fire while at anchor in Romanian waters on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of its crew as officials examine whether unmanned aircraft caused the blaze.

Romanian Defence Minister Radu Miruta identified the affected vessel as the Yara J, a chemical and oil tanker flying the flag of the Comoros. Speaking about the blaze, Miruta noted that investigators have not yet confirmed if an aerial drone struck the vessel, adding that a formal inquiry into the circumstances remains underway.

The incident occurred on the same day several drones crossed into Romania's airspace in areas near the Ukrainian border. The NATO member country shares a lengthy frontier with Ukraine and has frequently reported airspace incursions and drifting naval mines disrupting Black Sea trade channels since the conflict began.

Maritime safety has deteriorated across the region following several recent attacks on commercial vessels. Just a day prior, two ships were targeted by drones off the coast of neighboring Bulgaria. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that one of those vessels sank following the strike. While Radev acknowledged the lack of definitive proof regarding who launched the operation, he stated that Russia benefits from the disruption and confirmed the Russian ambassador would be called in for questioning.

That attack followed another fatal incident earlier in the month beyond Romania's territorial boundaries, where a cargo carrier transporting grain caught fire and sank. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Moscow, stating that two Russian unmanned aircraft had struck the Turkish-owned vessel in neutral waters, leaving two crew members dead while 11 were saved.

Regional leaders have grown increasingly vocal about maritime risks. On October 6, two other ships sustained drone strikes in Bulgarian exclusive economic waters, leaving one vessel submerged and its crew missing, while the crew of the second, damaged vessel was brought ashore safely. Search teams eventually concluded their recovery efforts after finding no survivors.

In response to the deteriorating security situation, Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova previously indicated intentions to convene talks with both Romania and Turkey to coordinate measures safeguarding commercial navigation in the Black Sea.