Romania scrambles jets near Sulina hours after tanker fire in Black Sea
Fighter jets intercepted aerial targets near the Romanian port after a fire, possibly caused by a drone, hit the tanker Yara J off Sulina.
Update ·
Romania scrambled fighter jets near Sulina after a third airspace violation within 12 hours of the tanker fire.
Romanian authorities are investigating whether a drone struck a chemical and oil-products tanker after a fire broke out on the vessel off the Black Sea coast, Defence Minister Radu Miruța said, according to WELT. The Comoros-flagged Yara J caught fire on Wednesday evening in Romanian territorial waters near Sulina; its crew extinguished the blaze and were evacuated safely, officials said.
Miruța said the Yara J had been anchored without cargo near Sulina, close to the border with Ukraine, for several days before the fire. He described the incident as serious and said it was still being determined whether the ship was hit by a drone.
Hours after the fire, Romania reported a third violation of its airspace in under 12 hours, with a new aerial target detected near Sulina and a RO-Alert message issued to residents in Tulcea county. Romania's defence ministry said it had scrambled two F-18 fighter jets to intercept a group of aerial targets over the Black Sea, WELT reported.
The incident adds to a run of attacks on shipping in the Black Sea. Two ships were hit in drone attacks off Bulgaria on Tuesday, with one sinking, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said, according to Al Jazeera. Radev said there was no clear evidence of who was responsible but that the outcome benefited Russia, and that Russia's ambassador would be summoned over the incident. The crew of the damaged ship were rescued, but Bulgarian authorities ended the search for the sunken vessel's crew after finding no survivors.
Earlier this month, a grain ship caught fire and sank outside Romania's territorial waters; Ukraine blamed Russian drones, saying two crew members were killed and 11 rescued from the Turkish-owned vessel. Since the start of October, five merchant ships have been struck off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, with about 23 sailors killed or missing, Bulgarian broadcaster NOVA News reported.
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What we know
- A fire broke out aboard the tanker Yara J in Romanian territorial waters near Sulina; the crew extinguished it and were evacuated safely.
- Romanian officials are investigating whether a drone struck the vessel, which had been anchored without cargo near Sulina for several days.
- Hours later, Romania reported a third airspace violation near Sulina in under 12 hours and scrambled fighter jets to intercept aerial targets.
- Bulgarian officials reported two more ships hit in drone attacks on Tuesday, with one sinking and its crew unaccounted for.
Not yet confirmed
- Whether a drone struck the Yara J.
- Whether the aerial targets detected near Sulina after the fire are connected to the tanker incident.
Why it matters for Europe
Romania is a NATO member bordering Ukraine, and repeated drone incursions and ship attacks near its Black Sea coast are being watched as a test of NATO and EU response along the alliance's . Attacks on merchant shipping off Romania and Bulgaria since the start of October have now killed or left missing about 23 sailors, threatening trade and energy routes through waters that are also used to export Ukrainian grain.
Live updates
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Romania scrambled fighter jets near Sulina after a third airspace violation within 12 hours of the tanker fire.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 20 reports from 15 independent outlets in 7 countries.
- Adevărul: A treia încălcare a spațiului aerian al României în mai puțin de 12 ore. O nouă țintă aeriană a ajuns în apropiere de Sulina
- Libertatea: O nouă țintă aeriană a pătruns în spațiul aerian al României, în apropiere de Sulina. A fost emis mesaj RO-Alert
- Știrile ProTV: Navă lovită de dronă în apele teritoriale românești. Ce a raportat echipajul către Căpitănia Sulina
- Antena 3 CNN: O navă a fost lovită de drone în apele teritoriale ale României. Vasul a luat foc în apropiere de Sulina
- HotNews: Navă comercială, lovită în apele teritoriale ale României. Incendiu la bord / „O premieră”
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Questions and answers
- What happened to the tanker Yara J?
- A fire broke out aboard the Comoros-flagged tanker in Romanian waters near Sulina; the crew put it out and were evacuated safely while officials investigate a possible drone strike.
- What happened after the fire?
- Romania reported a third airspace violation near Sulina within 12 hours and scrambled fighter jets to intercept aerial targets over the Black Sea.
- Have there been other Black Sea ship attacks recently?
- Yes. Bulgarian officials reported two ships hit by drones on Tuesday, and Bulgarian media say five merchant ships have been struck off Romania and Bulgaria since the start of October, leaving about 23 sailors dead or missing.
This article was written with AI assistance from 16 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.