Two tankers burn off Romania, seven crew missing

Two chemical tankers caught fire in Romanian territorial waters near the Sulina anchorage, and seven of the 12 crew aboard the San Marino flagged Wine Trader are missing.

Why it matters: The fires are the latest in a run of attacks on Black Sea shipping that has left at least 23 sailors missing or dead in ten days, and NATO says it will strengthen Black Sea defences in response.

Data as of Thursday, October 15, 2026, 17:47 ET. Guardian and DW reports both read in full via live browser. The two reports differ on cause: a NATO military source told Reuters the ships were hit by drones of Russian origin, while Romania's defence minister said an investigation is still under way into whether the Wine Trader was struck by a drone, and Romanian officials have not confirmed the cause of the fires.

Two chemical tankers caught fire in Romanian territorial waters near the mouth of the Sulina Canal, where the Danube meets the Black Sea. Seven of the 12 crew aboard the San Marino flagged Wine Trader, sailing from Tunisia to Romania, are missing and five are safe, while all crew aboard the Comoros flagged Yara J were reported safe.

President Nicusor Dan condemned attacks on commercial shipping and said he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had agreed to strengthen Black Sea defences. A NATO military source told Reuters the drones were of Russian origin, an attribution Romania has not confirmed: its defence minister said investigators are still establishing whether a drone struck the Wine Trader.

Two tankers burn off Romania, seven crew missing

Sources