A Croatian deck officer went missing in a drone attack on the tanker Wine Trader in the Black Sea on 15 October, and a week later there is still no trace of him. He is one of seven missing crew members, while a second Croatian seaman from the same vessel has been rescued and is not in life-threatening condition.
The Wine Trader sent a distress call on Thursday, 15 October, at around 7am after a fire broke out on board. The vessel was located approximately 13 nautical miles south-east of Sulina, roughly one mile outside Romanian territorial waters. The ship, flying the flag of San Marino, had a crew of 12, including two Croatians.
Among the seven missing is the Croatian deck officer, while the other six are citizens of Benin. According to a statement from the Romanian Free Seamen's Union (SLN), the first unmanned aerial vehicle struck the accommodation section of the ship, followed by further impacts. Those listed as missing were sleeping in the lower part of the crew accommodation, which was hit directly, while others were saved because they were sleeping in higher sections or on watch.
Five rescued seamen managed to reach the bow, from where they were evacuated by helicopter. The San Marino ship registry announced that the five rescued individuals, including the captain, were in good general health. Romanian Radio România Constanța reported that one of the rescued men remained in hospital due to superficial burns covering three per cent of his body, but did not specify his nationality. Index has informally learned that this is a Croatian, who has since been discharged and moved to a hotel.
There are two possibilities regarding the seven missing, the SLN states: they may have fallen or jumped into the sea, or they may have remained trapped under the deformed metal structure. The union considers the second possibility more likely. Entry into the tanker itself is not yet possible due to extensive damage.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan confirmed that unmanned aerial vehicles hit ships in the area, but did not say where they came from. A NATO military source told Reuters that the drones were of Russian origin. The union claims the ship was not linked to Ukraine and was hit by Russian Geran-type unmanned aerial vehicles. Moscow claimed that two cargo ships carrying military equipment sailing towards Odesa were hit in the attacks, but did not name them.
The Romanian maritime authority announced that the tanker was not carrying cargo at the time of the attack. The Romanian Free Seamen's Union states that the Wine Trader was heading towards Giurgiulești in Moldova, where it was to load vegetable oils. Union president and International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) inspector Adrian Mihălcioiu, who is in contact with the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, is convinced that the tanker, whose management is linked to companies in Malta and Italy, was attacked by Russian drones. He also pointed to footage published by the Russian Ministry of Defence, claiming a ship linked to the transport of munitions for Ukraine was attacked, without naming the vessel. According to him, comparing those recordings with satellite imagery leads to the conclusion that it is indeed the Wine Trader.
The attack on the Wine Trader occurred after a drone hit the tanker Yara J off the Romanian coast. On the Yara J, which sails under the flag of the Comoros, the crew extinguished the fire and no one was injured. A few days earlier, a ship was also attacked off Bulgaria and sank, with 11 crew members reported missing at the time. Reuters reported that at least five other cargo ships were hit off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria in around ten days up to 20 October, with at least 23 seamen killed or missing in these incidents.
The attacks have heightened concerns about the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, which is vital for the export of Ukrainian grain and other cargo. Following a series of incidents, NATO announced additional maritime patrol aircraft, radars and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as intelligence and forensic teams.
