On the morning of 15 October, a real tragedy unfolded over the Black Sea off the coast of Romania. The Wine Trader, a vessel flying the San Marino flag and designed to carry chemical products, caught fire. Of the twelve crew members, five were rescued, but the fate of the remaining seven remains unknown. Local authorities and the Romanian Navy have thrown all their resources into the search and rescue operation, but high waves are hampering the evacuation.
The vessel was just 24 kilometres from the port of Sulina when it sent out a distress signal at 7.00 am. Naval and air forces, the border police and units from the Ministry of the Interior were dispatched to assist. Two Black Hawk helicopters, equipped for evacuation, as well as search-and-rescue vessels and medical teams, were dispatched to the scene.
The cause of the fire on the Wine Trader remains a mystery for the time being. Meanwhile, experts point to a series of recent incidents in the area. Just the day before, on 14 October, the Comoros-flagged tanker Yara J caught fire near Sulina. The crew of 17 managed to extinguish the fire themselves, and fortunately, no one was injured. According to a spokesperson for the Romanian seafarers’ trade union, the fire may have been caused by a drone attack. Although there is as yet no official confirmation of this, the Romanian Ministry of Defence has reported that drones have violated the country’s airspace.
Interestingly, no one is yet rushing to blame drones for the incident on the Wine Trader. However, the turbulent situation in the region raises questions. Just one day earlier, on 13 October, drones attacked two other commercial vessels off the coast of Bulgaria, one of which even sank. The Bulgarian authorities have not yet identified those responsible, but Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has already stated his intention to discuss the situation with the Russian ambassador. In Romania and Bulgaria, there is growing concern over drone activity in the region, and the leaders of both countries are calling for closer cooperation within the EU and NATO.
These events are taking place against the backdrop of an escalating Russian-Ukrainian conflict, during which Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian ports and vessels in the Black Sea. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously ruled out the possibility of halting the attacks, despite fears that this could lead to grain shortages and, consequently, famine in some countries.
The situation in the Black Sea is escalating, and the international community is closely monitoring developments as rescue operations continue.