Drone attacks vessel bound for Ukraine in Black Sea near Romania
Illustrative photo: drone attacks vessel flying Palau flag near Romania (RBC-Ukraine collage)
A drone attacked a vessel flying the flag of Palau in Romanian territorial waters near Sfântu Gheorghe. There were no casualties as a result of the incident, states Romanian Minister of Defense Ștefan-Radu Oprea.
The attack occurred overnight into Saturday, approximately 12 kilometers north of the city of Sfântu Gheorghe. The vessel Larisa-1 was en route to the port of Sulina, with Ukraine as its final destination.
According to the ship's captain, the drone strike did not cause a fire, and none of the crew members were injured. The enemy drone destroyed only the cargo crane on board.
Minister of Defense Ștefan-Radu Oprea confirmed information about the attack and provided details on the response by Romanian forces.
"We are constantly being informed; I was also notified yesterday evening that a drone had been shot down, and there are no casualties or losses there," the minister noted.
He added that the ministry is closely monitoring the situation in the region and coordinating with other structures.
"We intervene each time, attempting, if necessary, to detect, prevent, and then, if necessary, engage targets," Radu Oprea clarified.
The security situation in the water area has remained extremely tense recently.
In particular, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasized that several countries could encourage Russia to adopt a "silence regime" in the Black Sea, as they directly depend on food supplies via this route.
Furthermore, at the end of October, it became known that Russia had allowed grain vessels to exit ports in the Sea of Azov for the first time since summer.
This decision temporarily opened a window of opportunity for resuming maritime food exports through the Kerch Strait toward the Black Sea.
