Seven crew missing after tanker strikes near Sulina canal

Seven sailors were missing on October 15, 2026 after drone strikes hit two chemical tankers anchored near the mouth of Romania's Sulina canal, a key entry point to the Danube River export corridor. The San Marino-flagged Wine Trader was struck 13 nautical miles southeast of Sulina, one mile outside Romanian territorial waters, according to Romanian officials. Five crew were rescued from the 6,259 dwt product tanker. The Comoros-flagged Yara J caught fire after being struck 8 to 10 miles southeast of Sulina inside Romanian waters late on October 14. All crew aboard the 10,000 dwt chemical and oil tanker were reported safe.

Rescue effort hampered by weather#

Romanian authorities deployed two Black Hawk helicopters and two ships with medical staff to search for the missing crew from the Wine Trader. The Interior Ministry reported on October 15 that rescue operations could not proceed safely due to high waves. A helicopter hoisted five survivors from the Wine Trader's deck, with one suffering scalp burns and another mild smoke inhalation. The captain reported the vessel was struck a second and possibly third time, damaging the water supply for firefighting systems and forcing evacuation. The missing crew were reported as Beninese, Croatian and Bosnian nationals.

Sulina corridor traffic disrupted#

The Wine Trader was empty and scheduled to load vegetable seed oil from Moldova, according to reports. The Yara J was in ballast and preparing to enter the Danube when struck, according to Splash247. Both vessels were anchored near the Sulina canal mouth, which provides access to Ukrainian and Moldovan Danube ports. NATO reported two additional vessels were targeted overnight: the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Sea Destiny inside Romanian waters and the Tanzanian-flagged tanker Dania J moored at the Ukrainian Danube port of Izmail. The attacks occurred as Ukraine relies increasingly on Danube ports and shipping routes near Romania and Bulgaria after repeated strikes on its Black Sea ports.

Series of strikes in ten days#

The October 15 attacks were the latest in a series of strikes on commercial shipping in the western Black Sea. At least five other cargo vessels were hit near Romania and Bulgaria between October 5 and October 15, with at least 23 sailors reported missing or dead, according to Reuters. Those earlier attacks occurred outside NATO territorial waters in the exclusive economic zones of the two countries. The October 15 strike on the Yara J was the first reported inside Romanian territorial waters, according to Romanian defence minister Radu Miruță. A NATO military source told Reuters the drones that struck the two tankers on October 15 were of Russian origin. Romanian President Nicusor Dan said commercial ships were being attacked and sunk very close to Romanian and Bulgarian shores, with lives, global trade and critical infrastructure at stake.

NATO adjusts Black Sea posture#

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on October 15 the alliance would continue working closely with Black Sea allies and adjusting its deterrence and defence posture as needed, following meetings with Romanian President Dan and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev. Bulgaria is working with Turkey and Romania on an initiative to protect commercial shipping in the Black Sea, Bulgarian foreign minister Velislava Petrova-Chamova announced in Berlin. Plans include establishing a Black Sea Maritime Security Centre with operations in Varna and Constanta to improve surveillance and protect critical infrastructure. Romania scrambled fighter jets repeatedly following drone incursions near the Danube delta, with two aerial targets entering Romanian airspace on October 14 evening. San Marino issued an alert for the Black Sea and Sea of Azov on October 15, strongly recommending vessels avoid transit through high-risk areas until further notice.