The strikes targeted three commercial vessels, including the Greek-flagged tanker Evia Petrol V and two Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged ships, following a similar strike on the cargo vessel Larissa 1 the previous night. Crews extinguished the resulting onboard fires, and Romanian Defence Minister Stefan Radu Oprea confirmed no casualties occurred among the personnel. In response to the growing threat near allied borders, France has deployed an Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft to Romania to bolster local aerial surveillance.
Key points
Romania is requesting counter-drone warfare systems and increased surveillance aircraft p…: Romania is requesting counter-drone warfare systems and increased surveillance aircraft patrols from NATO allies in Brussels.
Commercial shipping through the vital Sulina canal export route faces mounting operationa…: Commercial shipping through the vital Sulina canal export route faces mounting operational hazards from drone strikes.
Romanian officials condemned the maritime strikes as an unacceptable violation of interna…: Romanian officials condemned the maritime strikes as an unacceptable violation of international law stemming from the ongoing war.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
BUCHAREST: Drones have struck three commercial ships in the Black Sea near Romania's Sulina canal, Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said on Sunday (Nov 15), adding that his armed forces had scrambled fighter jets twice.
Defence Minister Stefan Radu Oprea said there were no casualties and that the ships' crews had managed to control the fires on board after the strikes late on Saturday.
A growing series of deadly strikes on merchant ships near NATO members Romania and Bulgaria shows how the escalating maritime war between Russia and Ukraine is expanding into a major challenge for the transatlantic alliance in the Black Sea.
The Sulina canal is a key Romanian shipping lane which links the Danube river to the Black Sea and is used by Ukraine for exports.
Romanian officials did not identify the origin of the drones but said they were a direct consequence of Russia's war in Ukraine.
"These incidents are unacceptable and constitute a violation of international law," Niculescu said. "They reflect the deteriorating security situation caused by Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine."
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