Rescuers are searching for eight missing crew members from two chemical tankers that caught fire in Romanian waters of the Black Sea. This incident occurred after Russian drones entered Romanian airspace, although officials did not directly link the fires to those drones. Recently, drone strikes had targeted at least five other cargo ships near Romania and Bulgaria, resulting in the deaths of 23 sailors.
The two tankers, Wine Trader and Yara J, were anchored near the Danube River’s mouth when the fires broke out. The San Marino-flagged Wine Trader sent an emergency alert, with eight of its twelve crew members missing and four confirmed safe. The Comoros-flagged Yara J also caught fire, but all its crew members were unharmed.
These events occur amid rising attacks on shipping in the Black Sea due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, potentially impacting global food supplies, as both countries are key grain exporters. Romania has reported repeated Russian drone breaches over the past four years.
With information from Reuters
