Romanian Defence Minister Radu Miruta said it was unclear whether a drone had struck the ship, the chemical and oil tanker Yara J, and that an investigation was pending. The incident coincided with multiple drones breaching Romanian airspace near the border with Ukraine on Wednesday.
The fire follows a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the region. On Tuesday, two ships were hit in drone attacks off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, with one sinking, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. Radev said there was no clear evidence of who carried out the attack, but that "the outcome benefits" Russia, and that the Russian ambassador would be summoned over the incident.
Earlier this month, a grain ship caught fire and sank outside Romania's territorial waters, killing two people, with 11 others rescued. Ukraine blamed Russian drones for the incident. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described it as 'a horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel in neutral waters carrying corn and owned by Turkiye.'
On October 6, two ships were hit in a drone attack in Bulgaria's Black Sea exclusive economic zone. One sank and the other was damaged. Bulgarian authorities ended search operations for the sunken ship's crew after confirming no survivors were found.
Romania, a NATO member, shares a land border with Ukraine. Since the Russia-Ukraine war began, drones have breached its airspace while floating mines in the Black Sea threaten key trade and energy routes. Some see the incursions as a test of NATO and European Union defences and response capabilities. Bulgaria's President Iliana Iotova has said she will invite Romania and Turkiye to consultations on ensuring the security of merchant ships in the Black Sea.