Ship catches fire in Romania’s waters amid rising attacks in the Black Sea

Authorities are investigating whether drones whitethorn person been progressive successful the latest incident.

A vessel anchored successful Romania’s territorial waters has caught occurrence and the unit has been evacuated, Romanian authorities said.

The incidental comes amid increasing concerns implicit hybrid attacks successful the Black Sea involving Russia.

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Romanian Defence Minister Radu Miruta said connected Wednesday it was unclear whether a drone had deed the ship, identified arsenic the Comoros-flagged chemic and lipid tanker Yara J, and that an probe was pending.

Multiple drones breached Romanian airspace connected Wednesday adjacent its borderline with Ukraine.

On Tuesday, 2 ships were hit successful drone attacks disconnected Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, with 1 of them sinking, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.

Radev said determination was nary wide grounds of who carried retired the attack, but “the result benefits” Russia and that the Russian ambassador would beryllium summoned implicit the incident.

Earlier shipping attacks

Earlier this month, a atom vessel caught occurrence and sank extracurricular Romania’s territorial waters. Ukraine blamed Russian drones for the incident, successful which 2 radical were killed and 11 others rescued.

“A horrific onslaught by 2 Russian drones connected a civilian vas successful neutral waters carrying maize and owned by Turkiye,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote connected societal media.

Some spot incursions by Russian drones into eastbound European airspace arsenic a trial of NATO and the European Union’s defences and effect capabilities.

Romania, a NATO member, shares a onshore borderline with Ukraine. Since the Russia-Ukraine warfare started, drones person breached its airspace portion mines floating successful the Black Sea endanger cardinal commercialized and vigor routes.

Last Wednesday, Bulgaria’s President Iliana Iotova said she would invitation Romania and Turkiye to consultations connected ensuring the information of merchant ships successful the Black Sea.

On October 6, 2 ships were deed successful a drone attack successful Bulgaria’s Black Sea exclusive economical zone. One sank and the different was damaged.

The unit of the damaged vessel were rescued, but the unit of the sunken 1 stay missing. Bulgarian authorities ended hunt operations aft confirming nary survivors were found.