Romania: Drones Strike Two Ships in Black Sea, Search Underway for Missing Crew

Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced that two drones struck commercial vessels in the country's territorial waters in the Black Sea overnight, triggering fires, news outlet Walla and Dutch broadcaster NOS reported. According to NOS, both ships were at anchor, with rescue teams searching for seven crew members from one of the vessels, while Romanian channel Digi24 reported that eight sailors were missing.

Dan linked the incidents directly to Russia's war in Ukraine and said he plans to address the operationalization of a joint maritime security center with Bulgaria at the upcoming European Union summit. Digi24 also reported that fighter jets were scrambled overnight after radars detected drones in the area.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the strikes, and further details have not yet been released.