Romania is seeking allied surveillance aircraft and counter-drone equipment after officials reported drone strikes on three commercial ships near Sulina on November 14 and overnight into November 15. Defense Minister Ștefan-Radu Oprea said there were no casualties, Reuters reported. SourceSource
Romanian officials have not identified the drones’ origin. They described the incidents as a consequence of Russia’s war against Ukraine, without naming an attacker. Russia has denied targeting Ukraine’s neighbors with drones, according to Reuters. Source
The Sulina canal connects the Danube River to the Black Sea and is used by Ukraine for exports. Reuters described the strikes on two of the ships as occurring inside Romanian territorial waters. Source
Which ships were hit?
Oprea identified the latest three vessels as the Greek-flagged tanker Evia Petrol V, the bulk carrier Marsol and the oil-products tanker Ali Najafov, Reuters reported. Source
According to a Romanian Defense Ministry account carried by News.ro, Evia Petrol V was struck at about 9:10 p.m. local time on November 14, approximately four nautical miles east-southeast of Sulina. Marsol was hit about 35 minutes later, roughly five nautical miles southeast of the Sulina canal. Both caught fire; their crews extinguished the flames. Source
Ali Najafov also reported being struck overnight, according to POLITICO. Source
These are separate from the November 13 strike on Larissa 1. Reuters reported Oprea’s account of a cargo ship hit that Friday without casualties, and attributed its identification as the Palau-flagged Larissa 1 to Romanian broadcaster Digi24. Source
Romania asks for patrols and equipment
Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said Romania had scrambled fighter jets twice. News.ro separately reported that two F-16s took off after radar detected an aerial target east of Snake Island, and that authorities issued drone warnings to residents of eastern Tulcea County. SourceSource
“These incidents are unacceptable and constitute a violation of international law,” Niculescu said, as quoted by Reuters and POLITICO. SourceSource
Oprea called for allied surveillance aircraft patrols and equipment for counter-drone warfare. He said he would meet fellow defense ministers in Brussels on November 17–18. SourceSource
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