Nov 3 (Reuters) – Attacks on cargo vessels off the coast of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria have surged in recent weeks, the latest fallout from the escalating fighting between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
Here is a list of attacks on vessels and other major incidents near the two western Black Sea states in recent weeks.
CARGO VESSELS
October 5 – The Royad Mammadov general cargo ship, flying the flag of St Kitts and Nevis, was struck 30 nautical miles (55 km) south of the Romanian town of Sfantu Gheorghe. Two crew members died.
October 6 – Togo-flagged general cargo vessel Alfa Watan sank after it was hit by a drone about 70 nautical miles off eastern Bulgaria’s coastal town of Byala. Twelve crew members were listed missing.
October 6 – Palau-flagged general cargo vessel Able was struck in the same attack, also within Bulgaria’s economic zone. Two people were injured.
October 13 – Ukrainian-owned, Maltese-flagged general cargo ship and dry bulk grain carrier Chelsea 3 was hit by three drones and damaged about 18 nautical miles off Bulgaria. All its crew members were rescued.
October 13 – Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship HS Dignity sank off the Bulgarian village of Krapets, which lies near the Romanian border. Five crew members were rescued and 11 were missing.
October 14 – Comoros-flagged chemical and oil tanker Yara J was hit by a drone roughly 8 to 10 nautical miles southeast of Sulina, within Romanian territorial waters. All its crew members were rescued.
October 15 – San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader was hit 13 nautical miles southeast of the Sulina canal, 1 nautical mile outside Romanian waters. Seven crew members were listed missing.
October 23 – Comoros-flagged ore and oil cargo carrier Khoryv capsized and sank 13 nautical miles from Romania’s flagship Black Sea port of Constanta. All its crew were rescued.
October 28 – Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged Contship Jet container vessel was struck by three naval drones and later sank in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. The ship, whose crew were rescued, had been on its way to the Romanian port of Constanta.
NEPTUN DEEP AND CONSTANTA PORT
August 26 – A naval drone was spotted just a few hundred metres from Romania’s Neptun Deep offshore gas project, prompting Bucharest to scramble F-16 fighter jets to destroy it. Neptun Deep, jointly owned by OMV Petrom, majority-controlled by Austria’s OMV, and Romanian state producer Romgaz, will make Romania the European Union’s largest gas producer next year.
August 11 – Romanian army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones that were drifting in the country’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone near Neptun Deep.
June 5 – A maritime drone self-detonated in Romania’s Black Sea port of Constanta near an oil terminal, without causing casualties. Ukraine said the drone belonged to it, but that it had lost control of it due to Russian electronic warfare jamming.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie and Tom Balmforth; Editing by Alison Williams)
