Drones attacked at least seven cargo ships in the Black Sea — PBS NewsHour
In October, drones attacked at least seven cargo ships in the Black Sea near Romania and Bulgaria. Two people were killed in these incidents, while at least 25 others are considered missing. The attacks took place in the exclusive economic zones of two NATO states and threaten an important international shipping route, PBS NewsHour reports.
On Thursday, a drone struck the San Marino-flagged chemical tanker Wine Trader, which was travelling from Tunisia to Romania. A fire broke out on board; five crew members were rescued and seven others are missing. A day earlier, a drone strike and fire were reported on the Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J, which was travelling from Turkey to Romania. Romania’s acting defence minister, Radu Miruță, said an investigation is ongoing.
Attacks near Bulgaria and Romania
Two vessels were attacked off Bulgaria’s coast on Tuesday. Rescuers evacuated all 15 crew members from the Malta-flagged Chelsea 3, operated by a Ukrainian company. At the same time, 11 sailors from the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity are missing. The crew of Chelsea 3 reported that three aerial drones struck the vessel’s deck and hull.
Earlier, sea and aerial drones attacked two more commercial vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. A Togo-flagged ship sank, and the fate of the sailors who were on board is unknown. A Bulgarian ferry evacuated 18 crew members from a damaged Palau-flagged vessel. Another Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying corn caught fire after an attack near Romania and later sank. Two people were killed then, while 11 sailors were rescued.
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Romanian President Nicușor Dan said in Brussels that two drones hit vessels, but did not specify who owned them. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told parliament that suspicions are increasingly pointing to Russia, although there is no evidence of this. The Russian Federation, an aggressor state, has repeatedly shelled Ukrainian Black Sea and Danube ports since the start of the full-scale invasion.
NATO’s response
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he had discussed security in the Black Sea and the latest attacks on merchant shipping with Rumen Radev and Nicușor Dan. According to him, the Alliance has strengthened the defence of its eastern flank, including counter-drone capabilities, and will adjust deterrence and defence measures as needed.
Romanian analyst Radu Tudor noted that it remains unclear whether Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty can apply to attacks in the exclusive economic zones of NATO member states. Bulgaria also plans to join NATO’s Drone Edge project by the end of October, which envisages investments of more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years.
