The tanker, sailing under the flag of San Marino, caught fire in the Sulina Canal, the Romanian Maritime Administration said. Rescue teams are searching for eight of the 12 crew members, according to Reuters.
The incident followed a separate fire the previous evening, on October 14, aboard the tanker Yara J, flagged to the Comoros, in Romanian territorial waters. Adrian Mihalcioiu, leader of the Free Union of Seafarers, said the vessel was presumably attacked by drones. The crew extinguished the blaze and no one was injured. Seventeen people were on board: 10 Indian citizens, six Syrians and a commander from Iraq, Ekho reported.
According to the union, the attack occurred when the ship was 8 to 10 nautical miles from the port of Sulina. Its engines, propulsion system and steering were not damaged, and the tanker headed to port for repairs.
Romania's Defense Ministry reported a violation of its airspace by drones on the evening of October 14. Defense Minister Radu Miruta said it was not yet clear whether the vessel had been attacked by a drone.
The Sulina Canal connects the Danube to the Black Sea and remains one of the key routes for Ukrainian grain exports. Delays caused by weather and staff shortages have led to a backlog of dozens of vessels waiting to pass.
According to Reuters, five commercial vessels have come under fire since the start of October, some of them sinking, in the Black Sea in Romanian and Bulgarian waters. A total of 23 sailors have been killed or reported missing.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan said he had spoken with Bulgarian leader Iliana Yotova. According to him, the two sides agreed to cooperate on countering drones within the framework of the EU and NATO after attacks on commercial vessels off the Bulgarian coast.
On October 13, two more vessels were attacked off the coast of Bulgaria, one of them sinking. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said he had informed his country's representatives to NATO and the EU and continues to seek support for an investigation into the attacks. According to him, there is no clear evidence to assign responsibility to any of the parties.