NATO to meet over Black Sea drone attacks on shipping

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 15 Oct, 17:50 · Archive

NATO will discuss drone strikes on cargo ships in the Black Sea after two vessels were hit and seven people went missing.

NATO will hold a meeting next week to discuss drone strikes on cargo ships in the Black Sea after a series of attacks in recent weeks, Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced on Thursday.

Two chemical tankers were hit by drone attacks in the past 24 hours in or near Romania's territorial waters. On Wednesday evening, Romania reported a possible drone attack on the Comoros-flagged tanker Yara J, which caught fire but the crew managed to extinguish it. On Thursday morning, a fire broke out on the Wine Trader, a San Marino-flagged chemical tanker, approximately 13 nautical miles southeast of the Romanian city of Sulina. Seven crew members went missing after the attacks. Over the past ten days, at least five more cargo ships close to Romania and Bulgaria have been hit by drones, with at least 23 sailors killed.

Dan met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Brussels to discuss the crisis. He described the trend of attacks as 'unacceptable' and said it had 'to stop', warning that lives, global trade and critical infrastructure were at stake. He told Politico Europe that it was 'too early' to confirm Russia's involvement. Dan said that invoking NATO's collective defence clause, Article 5, was 'not now' being discussed, nor had Romania requested emergency consultations under Article 4.

How it is being reported

• NATO allies to meet over Black Sea drone attacks on shippingThe North Atlantic Council will discuss the crisis after series of attacks on cargo ships in the region, Romanian President Nicușor Dan tells POLITICO.Politico Europe · 15 Oct, 14:41
• NATO to hold meeting to address drone attacks in the Black Sea after seven missing off RomaniaNATO will put drone strikes in the Black Sea on its agenda at a meeting next week, officials said Thursday, following two new attacks and the disappearance of seven people. Incidents involving civilian vessels in the Black Sea have been on the rise off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania in a suspected spillover from Russia’s war in Ukraine.France 24 · 15 Oct, 14:35

In this story: NATO · Romania · Black Sea · Bulgaria · Nicușor Dan · Mark Rutte · Russia

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