Fire on Black Sea ship sparks concern as Russian drone attacks rise
Eight sailors are missing after a fire broke out on a chemical tanker in the Black Sea.
Romanian authorities launched a search-and-rescue operation after the San Marino-flagged Wine Trader caught fire on Thursday in the Black Sea. There were 12 people aboard; four were rescued and eight remain missing.
The cause of the fire is not yet clear, but it occurred amid a spate of drone strikes on ships in the region. A drone briefly entered Romanian airspace near Sulina at 1.34am, according to Romania's defence ministry.
A second ship, the Yara J, also caught fire on Wednesday. Another chemical tanker lost crew when drones struck on Tuesday.
All 15 crew members of the Ukrainian-operated coastal freighter Chelsea 3 were evacuated. This month alone has seen a series of incidents.
A Togo-flagged ship sank after a strike, and a Turkish-owned cargo ship caught fire and sank on October 5, killing two people and rescuing 11 crew members.
- 12
- Crew aboard Wine Trader
- 8
- Missing sailors
- 24 kilometres
- Distance from Sulina
- 1.34am
- Drone airspace incursion time
Why it mattersThe escalating attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea threaten shipping routes and crew safety as Russia's war in Ukraine spreads.
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