A fire broke out on a commercial vessel anchored in Romania’s territorial waters late on Wednesday evening before its crew members were evacuated, Romanian authorities said. The incident was part of a series of events in the Black Sea that have highlighted the risks facing maritime traffic near NATO’s eastern flank.
Defence minister identifies tanker and outlines investigation
Romanian Defence Minister Radu Miruță said the vessel was the Yara J, a chemical and oil tanker flying the Comoros flag. Miruță said it was unclear whether the tanker had been attacked by a drone, confirming that the investigation into the incident was still under way.
Several drones also breached Romanian airspace near the country’s border with Ukraine on Wednesday.
