Suspected Black Sea drone strike reaches Romanian territorial waters
HUMANSUnverifiedUpdated:
A chemical tanker was reportedly struck while anchored near the mouth of Romania’s Sulina Canal, a claimed escalation of drone attacks on Black Sea commercial shipping into a NATO member’s territorial waters.
The Yara J reportedly struck in Romanian waters
The report says the Comoros-flagged chemical tanker Yara J was struck within Romanian territorial waters between October 14 and 15, after drones were detected in Romanian airspace. It says all crew members were rescued. It also describes other vessels targeted near Romania and in Ukraine, and says NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on October 15 that NATO had increased counter-drone capabilities along its eastern flank.
The account references earlier drone attacks in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, but does not provide an independently verified comparable baseline for incidents inside Romanian territorial waters.
The reported attacks are described as extending to a vessel within Romanian territorial waters, rather than only waters in NATO members’ exclusive economic zones.
Alleged Russian involvement remains unverified
If accurate, the incident would place a reported attack on commercial shipping inside a NATO member’s territorial waters. The account also links the reported incidents to calls for additional counter-drone protection, while the alleged Russian involvement remains unverified.
Sources
- Ars TechnicaBlack Sea drone attacks enter NATO country's territorial waters for first timeRead source →