Attacks on commercial vessels near Romania and Bulgaria have increased sharply in recent weeks, highlighting the growing risks posed by the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
The incidents have involved cargo ships, tankers and other commercial vessels operating near the territorial waters and exclusive economic zones of the two NATO members. Several ships have been damaged or sunk, while crew members have been killed, injured or reported missing.
The growing number of incidents has raised concerns about maritime security and the potential for the conflict to create further risks for NATO states bordering the Black Sea.
The following is a timeline of major attacks on vessels and other maritime incidents near Romania and Bulgaria in recent months.
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Attacks on commercial vessels
October 5: The Royad Mammadov, a general cargo ship flying the flag of St Kitts and Nevis, was struck approximately 30 nautical miles (55 km) south of Romania’s Sfantu Gheorghe. Two crew members were killed.
October 6: The Togo-flagged general cargo vessel Alfa Watan sank after being hit by a drone around 70 nautical miles off the Bulgarian coastal town of Byala. Twelve crew members were reported missing.
On the same day, the Palau-flagged general cargo vessel Able was also struck in the attack within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. Two people were injured.
October 13: The Chelsea 3, a Ukrainian-owned, Maltese-flagged general cargo ship and dry bulk grain carrier, was hit by three drones approximately 18 nautical miles off Bulgaria. The vessel was damaged, but all crew members were rescued.
The same day, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship HS Dignity sank off the Bulgarian village of Krapets, close to the Romanian border. Five crew members were rescued, while 11 remained missing.
October 14: The Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J was struck by a drone around 8 to 10 nautical miles southeast of Sulina, inside Romanian territorial waters. All crew members were rescued.
October 15: The San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader was hit approximately 13 nautical miles southeast of the Sulina Canal, around one nautical mile outside Romanian territorial waters. Seven crew members were reported missing.
October 23: The Comoros-flagged ore and oil cargo carrier Khoryv capsized and sank approximately 13 nautical miles from Constanta, Romania’s main Black Sea port. All crew members were rescued.
October 28: The Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged container vessel Contship Jet was struck by three naval drones before sinking in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. Its crew was rescued. The ship had been travelling towards the Romanian port of Constanta.
Incidents near Romania’s Neptun Deep gas project
The growing maritime security concerns extend beyond commercial shipping. Romania’s offshore energy infrastructure has also faced incidents involving unmanned vessels and drones.
August 26: A naval drone was spotted just a few hundred metres from Romania’s Neptun Deep offshore gas project. Romanian authorities scrambled F-16 fighter jets to destroy it.
Neptun Deep is jointly owned by OMV Petrom, which is majority-controlled by Austria’s OMV, and Romanian state-owned gas producer Romgaz. The project is expected to make Romania the European Union’s largest gas producer next year.
August 11: Romanian army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones drifting in the country’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone near the Neptun Deep project.
June 5: A maritime drone detonated itself in Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta, near an oil terminal. The incident caused no casualties.
Ukraine said the drone belonged to its forces but had lost control of it because of Russian electronic warfare jamming.
Growing pressure on Black Sea security
The incidents illustrate how the Russia-Ukraine conflict is increasingly affecting commercial shipping and strategic infrastructure near NATO’s eastern Black Sea members.
Repeated attacks and drone sightings close to Romanian and Bulgarian waters expose the risks facing vessels operating in the region, including ships transporting commercial cargo and energy products.
The incidents near Neptun Deep and Constanta also highlight the vulnerability of important maritime and energy infrastructure as the fighting continues.
For Romania and Bulgaria, the challenge is to protect their territorial waters, economic zones and critical infrastructure while managing the security consequences of a conflict taking place close to NATO territory.
With information from Reuters.
