Key facts
- The Palau-flagged Larissa 1 was heading toward the Romanian port of Sulina, with Ukraine reportedly its final destination.
- The drone damaged a cargo crane aboard Larissa 1; the captain reported no injuries and no fire, per HotNews.
- The Greek-flagged tanker Evia Petrol V was struck about 4 nautical miles east-southeast of Sulina on November 14.
- The bulk carrier Marsol was struck near the Sulina Canal about 35 minutes after the Evia Petrol V.
- Romania's Defense Ministry said both November 14 vessels caught fire and crews extinguished the flames, with no casualties.
- Romanian authorities have not identified the origin of the drones that struck the vessels.
Three commercial vessels were struck by drones near Romania's Black Sea coast on November 13 and 14, Romanian authorities said. The Palau-flagged cargo ship Larissa 1 was about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the coast near Sfântu Gheorghe when it was hit at about 9:40 p.m. local time on November 13, according to Romanian broadcaster Digi24. The ship was heading toward the Romanian port of Sulina, with Ukraine reportedly its final destination.
The drone damaged a cargo crane aboard Larissa 1. The ship's captain reported no crew members were injured and the impact did not cause a fire, according to Romanian outlet HotNews. Speaking at the military port of Constanța on November 14, Romanian Defense Minister Ștefan-Radu Oprea said Romanian authorities had been notified of the incident and an investigation was underway. He said authorities were monitoring drone activity near Romanian territory and that at least two alerts had been issued in Tulcea County on November 13. Romanian authorities have not identified the origin of the drone that struck the vessel.
Two more commercial vessels were struck on the evening of November 14, Romania's Defense Ministry said, according to Romanian news agency News.ro. The Greek-flagged tanker Evia Petrol V was struck at about 9:10 p.m. local time, about 4 nautical miles east-southeast of Sulina. About 35 minutes later, the bulk carrier Marsol was struck near the Sulina Canal. Both vessels caught fire and their crews extinguished the flames, with no casualties reported.
The Defense Ministry also reported detecting an aerial target east of Snake Island, prompting the deployment of two F-16 fighter jets, and drone alerts were issued to residents of Tulcea County. The origin of the drones responsible for the November 14 strikes has not been established.