2 ships on fire in Black Sea, 7 crew missing

Key Points:

• Romanian authorities have initiated search and rescue operations in the Black Sea to find seven missing crew members from the chemical tanker Wine Trader, which caught fire near the Sulina Canal; another chemical tanker, Yara J, also caught fire earlier but its crew is safe.
• The fires occurred after Russian drones entered Romanian airspace, though officials have not confirmed the drones caused the fires; recent drone strikes on cargo ships off Romania and Bulgaria have resulted in at least 23 sailor casualties over the past 10 days.
• Romanian President Nicusor Dan and NATO chief Mark Rutte condemned the attacks, emphasizing the threat to lives, global trade, and critical infrastructure, with NATO increasing counter-drone capabilities and adjusting defense postures in the Black Sea region.
• The Black Sea has seen growing attacks on shipping, impacting grain transport from Ukraine and Russia, with Ukraine using routes near Romanian and Bulgarian coasts due to Russian aggression on its ports; both Romania and Bulgaria, EU and NATO members, are addressing these security concerns.
• Bulgaria plans to discuss a proposed moratorium on attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea at the EU summit, following a recent drone attack that sank a ship off its coast and led to summoning the Russian ambassador.