Drone hits cargo ship near Sfântu Gheorghe in Romanian waters, no casualties reported

The strike near Sfântu Gheorghe

Late on Friday, 13 November, a drone hit a merchant ship in Romanian waters off the Tulcea County coast, according to Romanian media. Digi24, citing Ziua de Constanța, placed the vessel about 12 kilometres north of Sfântu Gheorghe, while Mediafax put it about seven nautical miles from the town. Ziare.com and Digi24 identified the ship as the Larissa 1, flying the Palau flag and sailing for Sulina with Ukraine as its final destination. Ziare.com gave the time of impact as around 21:40, whereas Mediafax said it happened shortly before 22:00. According to the ship's master, the drone reportedly destroyed only the cargo crane used to handle goods, and no fire broke out and no crew member was hurt.

What the defence minister said

Defence Minister Radu Oprea confirmed on Saturday, 14 November, that authorities had been told about the strike during the night. He said there were no casualties and that he could not yet say where the drone came from until checks were complete. Speaking at the Constanța Military Port, Oprea said the investigation was ongoing and that the navy, the Interior Ministry and the Coast Guard remained in contact with one another. He framed the inter-agency cooperation as a way to prevent such incidents where possible and to rescue lives if needed.

“We are informed all the time, we were informed last night too, that it was hit by a drone, there are no injured or loss of life there.”

Alerts and the air response

Oprea said at least two alerts had been issued on Friday in two zones of Tulcea County. Around 22:00 an RO-Alert warning reached residents of northern Tulcea County about a drone detected near Snake Island. The Ministry of National Defence said its radar had picked up an aerial target southeast of Snake Island in Ukrainian airspace that evening, and two F-16 jets took off to monitor Romanian airspace. Oprea said Romanian jets, Spanish aircraft on air policing duty and helicopters are launched depending on the threat, and that targets can be engaged if the danger requires it.

Six drones and a wider pattern

Oprea said Romanian pilots have shot down six drones so far, and he called them heroes, if you like, within NATO forces because they have the most such successes. He added that Romania does not want such results but was pleased to see its pilots prepared for any mission.

“I don't think we want to have such successes, but at the same time it is good that we see that they are prepared and can handle any mission.”

Media reports cited by news.ro said at least seven commercial ships were reportedly hit by drones in the Black Sea in October, with several sailors killed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had visited Romania in the context of the drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea, which are linked to the war between Russia and Ukraine. The first drone brought down over Romanian airspace by a Romanian F-16 pilot was on 24 July, in an uninhabited area of Buzău County.