15 October 2026
(PHOTO: Radio România Constanța)
The oil tanker Yara J was struck by a drone in Romanian territorial waters near the Ukrainian border. After the strike, a fire broke out on the vessel, which the crew extinguished on their own.
According to the Romanian media outlet Radio România Constanța, the incident occurred on the evening of October 14, approximately 8–10 nautical miles from the city of Sulina on the Romanian coast.
According to the report, the tanker had arrived from Turkey and was waiting for the weather to improve so it could pass through the canal. The vessel was empty and was scheduled to load cargo at ports on the Danube.
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There were 17 sailors on board from Syria, India, and Iran. Adrian Mihalchiu, head of the Romanian Seafarers’ Union, reported that all crew members are safe and the ship’s engines are still running.
Following reports of the strike, the rescue vessel APOLLO was dispatched to the tanker. Subsequently, the Yara J was able to continue under its own power toward the port of Constanța.
The Romanian Ministry of Defense reported that radar systems had detected a group of aerial targets over the Black Sea that evening. At approximately 8:04 p.m., two of them entered the country’s airspace. Later, radar contact with one of the targets was lost over the sea. It cannot be ruled out that this particular drone struck the tanker.
According to France 24, the drone was likely Russian. Romanian authorities have launched an official investigation.
Romanian military analyst Sandu Valentin Mateiu noted that the incident occurred specifically within the country’s territorial waters. Previous attacks on ships in the Black Sea were recorded in its exclusive economic zone—beyond its territorial waters.
Mihalchiu also suggested that the strike may have been deliberate and that the tanker was likely headed for Ukraine. However, this information still needs to be verified.
Ірина Глухова