Two commercial ships hit by drones near Sulina, no injuries
A Greek-flagged tanker and a bulk carrier were struck by drones on Saturday evening near the mouth of the Danube, causing fires that crews extinguished.
Illustration: AI-generated image
Two commercial vessels were struck by drones on Saturday evening in the Black Sea near Sulina, close to the mouth of the Danube, according to Romania's Ministry of National Defence (MApN). No one was injured, and the crews managed to put out fires that broke out on board.
The first incident involved the Greek-flagged oil tanker Evia Petrol V, which was hit at around 21:10 local time about four nautical miles east-southeast of Sulina. Less than an hour later, at approximately 21:45, the bulk carrier Marsol was also struck by a drone about five nautical miles southeast of the Sulina Canal.
Fires started on both ships after the impacts, but the crews extinguished them without any casualties, MApN said in a statement. The ministry added that civilian maritime authorities reported the two incidents.
Earlier on Saturday evening, Romania's radar surveillance system detected an air target east of Snake Island, prompting two Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter jets to take off from the 86th Air Base at Fetești. A RO-Alert message was sent to residents in eastern Tulcea County at 20:51, warning of possible drone activity. That air alert was lifted at 21:37.
Later, a new radar contact was detected southeast of Sulina, and another RO-Alert message was issued at 23:19. The alert was cancelled at 00:27 on Sunday, according to authorities.
Sulina is a small port town at the eastern edge of the Danube Delta, an area that has seen increased military and civilian vigilance since the start of the war in neighbouring Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence did not say who launched the drones.
