BUCHAREST, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Romania resumed a search on Friday for seven sailors missing from a chemical tanker hit by a drone near its Black Sea coast, the latest in a series of attacks highlighting risks to commercial shipping near NATO’s eastern flank.
The missing crew were among 12 sailors aboard the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader, which was struck early on Thursday about a mile outside Romanian territorial waters. Five crew members were rescued, but efforts to find the others have been hampered by strong winds and rough seas.
“Our colleagues returned today to search the ship and continue the mission to identify the rest of the crew,” an interior ministry spokesperson told Reuters.
Officials said a Black Hawk helicopter would place four rescuers aboard the vessel while a ship continued searching nearby waters.
The Wine Trader was one of two tankers hit by drones within about 12 hours near Romania’s Black Sea coast.
The second vessel, the Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J, was struck inside Romanian waters late on Wednesday. Its crew were unharmed and the ship was towed to the port of Constanta.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan said the two ships had been struck by drones, while a NATO military source said the drones came from Russia.
The attacks have intensified concerns about the spillover of the Russia-Ukraine war into Black Sea shipping lanes. Both vessels were anchored near the Sulina canal, which links the Danube River to the Black Sea and is a key export route for Ukraine.
At least five other cargo ships have been hit near the coasts of Romania and neighbouring Bulgaria in the past 10 days, with 23 sailors reported dead or missing. Most of those incidents occurred outside NATO territorial waters.
Bulgaria has asked NATO to deploy combat aircraft and anti-drone systems to bolster its sea capacities, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said on Friday. Romania’s president said the country had also asked for additional equipment.
(Reporting by Luiza IlieEditing by Ros Russell)
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