A coal ship sailing under the flag of Liberia was damaged overnight in the Black Sea while en route to Ukraine, the Romanian Department for Emergency Situations (DSU) reported, as cited by the "Romania Insider" website. The vessel signaled an accident in the Romanian exclusive economic zone after a problem was detected in the area southeast of the coastal village of Sfantu Gheorghe.
The ship "Christiana B" reported damage about 22 kilometers from the coast in Tulcea County. It was traveling from the American port of Norfolk to Ukraine with a cargo of coal.
There is still no definitively confirmed cause for the incident. According to the DSU's initial theories, it is possible that the vessel was hit by a sea drone or a sea mine, but authorities emphasize that these are only preliminary assumptions and further investigation is pending.
The extent of the damage has not yet been announced. It is only known that one of the ship's cargo holds was affected. The captain informed the Romanian authorities that no sailors were injured and that the vessel could move under its own power to a safe port.
According to information from the Romanian agency "Agerpres", the ship will be directed for repairs to the port of Constanta or Varna, according to data from the vessel's owner.
Following the signal, the Romanian authorities sent two rescue ships and a surveillance helicopter. The vessel remains under observation until a final decision is made regarding its route to a repair facility.
The incident occurs against the backdrop of increased military activity in the region. The radar system of the Romanian Ministry of National Defense detected a group of drones overnight about 33 kilometers north of Romania's river border with Ukraine, the "Agerpres" agency reported.
The Romanian Air Force dispatched an IAR-330 Puma SOCAT helicopter for surveillance, and residents of Tulcea County were warned via the RO-ALERT system shortly before 01:00. The alert was later canceled after the Ministry of National Defense reported that no violation of Romanian airspace had been registered and there was no evidence of fallen aircraft or strikes on the country's territory.
The air alert in the area was canceled at 01:33. The Romanian Ministry of National Defense stated that it continues to monitor the situation and maintains a constant exchange of information with allied NATO structures.
Earlier this week, another serious incident occurred near Romanian territorial waters - the LNG tanker "Lisbon Gas", sailing under a Liberian flag toward a Ukrainian port, was damaged following an explosion and subsequent fire. One crew member died from injuries sustained, and the incident took place about 20 nautical miles off the coast of Romania.
A cargo ship sailing under the Turkish flag was also struck by a combat drone in the Black Sea this week, with one crew member killed and three injured in the attack. However, that incident occurred in international waters, not far from the Turkish city of Samsun.