Eight Missing After San Marino-Flagged Ship Reports Fire off Romania

Romanian authorities are investigating reports that a commercial vessel was struck by a drone in the Black Sea near Sulina, after a separate ship flying the San Marino flag reported a fire and eight of its 12 crew members went missing.

At 7:00 a.m., the San Marino-flagged Wine Trader contacted the Romanian Coast Guard to request assistance because of a fire on board. The vessel was in the Black Sea, 13 nautical miles southeast of Sulina, near the entrance to the Danube Delta, where ships often anchor while waiting to proceed upstream.

Eight crew members are missing, and a search operation is underway. Sailors aboard other vessels in the area reported that the ship had been hit by a drone, but Romanian authorities have not confirmed this information. The rescue operation remains ongoing.

In a separate incident, a vessel flying the Comoros flag was attacked last night near Sulina, with preliminary reports placing it in Romanian territorial waters. A fire broke out but was extinguished by the crew, and all 17 people aboard were reported safe.

The vessel was approximately nine nautical miles southeast of Sulina’s breakwater when the incident occurred. Its crew members were Syrian nationals, and the ship was carrying coal to Ukraine. According to the crew, a drone had attacked the vessel.

Shortly before the incident, Romania’s RO-ALERT system issued a warning in the eastern part of Galați County after two drones entered Romanian airspace. One of the drones was destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses near the Ukrainian port of Reni.

The incident is among a series of attacks targeting Ukrainian Danube ports in the region.

Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruță said authorities were checking whether the vessel had been hit by a drone. He explained that the Coast Guard had received a radio report of a fire at 8:23 p.m. and dispatched a vessel to assist.

“At 8:23 PM, we were informed via the ship's radio that a fire had broken out. A vessel was dispatched to the area to provide assistance. Shortly thereafter, they reported that the fire had been extinguished, that they did not require support, and that they did not wish to enter a port,” Miruță said.

The assistance vessel returned after the crew reported that the fire was out and neither the ship nor its crew remained in danger. Miruță said the vessel had been empty and had been in the area for several days.

“Whether or not it was struck by a drone is currently under investigation. No drone approaching the vessel was detected on the Ministry of National Defense's radar. Nevertheless, such incidents in Romanian territorial waters are a matter of great seriousness,” the defense minister added.

The vessel is expected to proceed to the port of Constanța, where authorities will determine whether it was struck by a drone.