Romania Blames Russia for Escalating Black Sea Ship Strikes

Romania blamed Russia for increased drone strikes against commercial vessels in the Black Sea after a second cargo caught fire near its territorial waters in the space of 12 hours. “It’s obvious that these are attempts by Russia, in Romania and in Bulgaria, to destabilize our societies and reduce the support for Ukraine,” Romanian President Nicusor Dan said from Brussels after a joint meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, vowing to continue helping Kyiv. The latest incidents are part of a series of more frequent and destructive attacks on ships in the western Black Sea, a vital route for Ukrainian grain exports. The attacks have taken place close to the territorial waters of NATO member states Romania and Bulgaria. A chemical tanker requested immediate rescue 14 nautical miles from the Romanian town of Sulina, near the border with Ukraine, early on Thursday. The San Marino-flagged vessel was hit by drones, causing a fire, Dan said. Seven of the 12 crew members reported missing, according to Romanian naval authorities. The blaze comes after another vessel, sailing under the flag of the Comoros, reported a fire late Wednesday while in Romanian territorial waters. Earlier this week, Bulgaria summoned Russia’s ambassador to Sofia after two ships were hit off the country’s coast. In another strike on Oct. 6, a ship sank in three minutes killing crew members and likely making it among the deadliest incidents of Russia’s war against Ukraine outside the battlefield. Last week, another ship, carrying corn, was hit in Romania’s economic zone, leaving two dead. “Romania and Bulgaria are increasingly being drawn into the security consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine, despite their strong preference to focus on diplomacy and to avoid any direct confrontation with Moscow,” said Alex Kokcharov, an analyst on Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Bloomberg Economics. “Both countries will continue to prioritize de-escalation, but repeated maritime incidents, particularly if these occur in their territorial waters, are making a passive response increasingly difficult,” Kokcharov said. The Romanian president told reporters in Brussels on Thursday that the country will ask NATO for more defense capabilities to face rising threats in the Black Sea. Rutte said in a post on X after the meeting with Dan and Radev that NATO will continue to work closely to “adjusting our deterrence and defence posture as needed” on the eastern flank. Bulgaria’s Radev said EU leaders will discuss a “proposed moratorium” to stop attacks “on civilian ships within the black sea,” commenting to reporters ahead of a summit in Brussels. Photo: Ships in the Black Sea. Photographer: Daniel Mihailesu/Getty Images Copyright 2026 Bloomberg. Topics Russia