INTERNATIONAL DESK — BUCHAREST — A series of drone strikes hit three commercial vessels in the Black Sea near Romania's critical Sulina shipping lane over the weekend, prompting the armed forces to scramble fighter jets twice. Prime Minister Luca Niculescu and Defence Minister Stefan Radu Oprea confirmed the incidents on Sunday, highlighting a widening security challenge for the transatlantic alliance as the maritime conflict between Russia and Ukraine intensifies near NATO territory.
According to the defense ministry, the targeted vessels comprised the Greek-flagged oil and chemical tanker Evia Petrol V, alongside the bulk carrier Marsol and the oil products tanker Ali Najafov, the latter two flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The Evia Petrol V and Marsol were struck four and five nautical miles southeast of the Sulina canal within Romanian territorial waters. Officials also noted a separate general cargo ship, identified by local monitors as the Palau-flagged Larissa 1, was hit by a drone late Friday. Despite the strikes, authorities verified that there were no casualties among the crews, who successfully managed to control and extinguish the fires on board.
The Sulina canal serves as a vital maritime artery linking the Danube River to the Black Sea, functioning as a primary export route utilized by Ukraine. Romanian leadership pointed to the escalating maritime hostilities as the direct root cause of the incursions into national territorial waters. Prime Minister Niculescu condemned the events as a breach of international law and a manifestation of the worsening security landscape driven by the ongoing military campaign, while Moscow has denied targeting neighboring states with drones.
In response to the security escalation, Defence Minister Oprea announced plans to travel to Brussels to confer with allied defense ministers, seeking enhanced allied solidarity through increased surveillance patrols and counter-drone equipment. Romania has previously requested reinforcements, leading France to temporarily relocate an Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft to the country. The recent maritime incidents underscore a sustained pattern of vulnerabilities for commercial shipping operating near the strategic Romanian trade corridor.