The Black Sea's Deadliest Months, and the Crews Caught Between

The Black Sea has always been a place of passage, a body of water where ships carry grain and goods between continents, where the horizon holds the promise of distant ports. But in recent months, that passage has become perilous, and the sound of drones has joined the rhythm of the waves.

Seven crew members are missing after a drone attack left a chemical tanker ablaze off Romania's coast on Thursday morning. The San Marino-flagged Wine Trader was anchored about 13 nautical miles east of the mouth of the Danube River when it reported explosions and a fire around 7 a.m. local time . Romanian President Nicușor Dan confirmed that the vessel had been struck by drones, and that a second tanker in the area, the Comoros-flagged Yara J, had also been hit the previous evening .

Twelve crew members were aboard the Wine Trader. Five were rescued, and seven remained missing as of Thursday, according to the Romanian Naval Authority. A search and rescue operation was underway, involving two Black Hawk helicopters and two rescue boats, but rough seas with waves reaching four to five meters made the effort difficult. "At present, it is not possible to rescue the people safely due to the very high waves," Romania's interior ministry said .

The Wine Trader was empty of cargo at the time of the attack, sailing from Tunisia to Romania. Romanian media, citing crews on nearby ships, reported that the vessel had been hit by two drones . The Yara J, which was also anchored near the Sulina Canal entrance, caught fire Wednesday night, but its crew managed to douse the flames themselves and all were reported safe .

The incidents mark an escalation in a pattern that has alarmed NATO members. At least five other cargo ships have been struck by drones near the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria over the past ten days, with at least 23 sailors lost or missing from those attacks, which occurred just outside NATO's territorial waters . Russia has intensified its strikes on vessels in the Black Sea as part of its war against Ukraine, and Moscow said Thursday that two cargo ships with military cargo heading to Ukraine's Odesa port had been hit, though it did not name the vessels .

Romanian President Dan called the attacks "direct consequences of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine" and said Romania and Bulgaria would push for "stronger counter-drone measures within the EU and NATO" to ensure safe commercial shipping . The two leaders were due to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels to discuss the growing security threats .

The strategic stakes extend beyond the immediate casualties. The Black Sea is a "global food artery," Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said this week, noting that both Russia and Ukraine are major exporters of grain, as is Romania. "It is currently, unfortunately, the deadliest sea when it comes to the number of casualties of sailors in the last months" .

For the families of the seven missing crew members of the Wine Trader, the wait continues as rescue teams battle the waves. For the region, the question of how to protect civilian shipping in a sea that has become a frontline remains urgent and unresolved.

AI Image Disclaimer: This article's image is AI-generated and does not depict the actual vessels or rescue operation.

Sources: BBC News, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Anadolu Agency, RTVE, NDTV, Yonhap News