A ship anchored in Romania’s territorial waters caught fire on Wednesday and its crew was evacuated, Romanian authorities said, identifying the vessel as the Comoros flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J. Defence Minister Radu Miruta said it was unclear whether a drone had hit the ship and that an investigation was pending, on a day when multiple drones also breached Romanian airspace near the border with Ukraine. The incident follows drone attacks on two ships off Bulgaria’s coast on Tuesday, one of which sank, and the sinking of a grain ship outside Romanian waters earlier this month in which two people were killed, a pattern Bulgaria’s president has proposed addressing through consultations among Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye on merchant ship security in the Black Sea.
Tanker catches fire in Romanian waters, crew evacuated
A Comoros flagged chemical and oil tanker, the Yara J, caught fire at anchor in Romania's territorial waters on Wednesday and its crew was evacuated, with Defence Minister Radu Miruta saying it was unclear whether a drone had hit the ship.
Why it matters: It is the third Black Sea shipping incident in about a week, after two ships were hit off Bulgaria on Tuesday, one sinking, and a grain ship sank off Romania earlier this month, putting merchant shipping security in NATO members' waters under active discussion among Romania, Bulgaria and Turkiye.
Data as of Wednesday, October 14, 2026, evening Toronto time. Al Jazeera report opened and read in full, reporting Romanian authorities and Defence Minister Radu Miruta; the cause of the fire is unconfirmed and under investigation, and no party has been established as responsible for this incident. Ukraine's attribution of the earlier grain ship sinking to Russian drones is that government's claim, carried as such. Developing item, 2 to 3 sentences by design.
Sources
- Ship catches fire in Romania's waters amid rising attacks in the Black Sea · Al Jazeera · 2026-10-15