Romania searches for eight sailors after two tankers burn in the Black Sea
Rescue services hunt for eight crew after two tankers burned near the Sulina channel on October 15, 2026 amid reports of Russian drone activity.
Romanian rescue teams are searching for eight crew members after one of two chemical tankers caught fire in Romanian territorial waters of the Black Sea on October 15, 2026, authorities said. The incidents came after Russian drones entered Romanian airspace overnight, according to Romanian officials.
The Romanian Maritime Authority said it received an emergency call from the tanker Vajn Trejder, which sails under the flag of San Marino. Eight of the vessel's 12 crew members are listed as missing while four are reported safe.
The other vessel, a chemical and oil tanker named Jara J flying the flag of the Comoros, also burned during the night; Romanian authorities initially said it was not yet clear whether that ship had been attacked. All crew members aboard Jara J are reported safe.
Location and wider maritime risk
Both tankers caught fire near the mouth of the Sulina channel, the Danube outlet into the Black Sea. That area is a common waiting zone where ships anchor for weather or traffic reasons, and it is used increasingly as an alternative maritime route for Ukrainian exports while Russian forces attack Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea.
Romania shares a 614‑kilometre border with Ukraine, much of it along the Danube, and officials have reported repeated incursions by Russian drones over the past four years. The recent vessel incidents follow attacks on at least five cargo ships close to the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts in the last ten days, in which at least 23 sailors were killed.
Shipping analysts warn that the heightened attacks on Black Sea traffic connected to the Russia–Ukraine war could aggravate a global food crisis because both countries are among the world's largest grain exporters. Kyiv has increasingly relied on Danube ports and sea routes near Romania and Bulgaria, while Russia has been striking Ukrainian Black Sea ports; Ukraine in turn has struck Russian vessels near the mouth of the Don River in the Sea of Azov.
Photo: press material from the event
