Drones attack three commercial ships near Romania’s Danube Delta
Drones attacked three commercial vessels near the Danube Delta and Sulina in Romanian waters on the evening of 14 November. Romania’s air forces scrambled fighter jets twice, and Prime Minister Luca Niculescu condemned the attacks as unacceptable violations of international law. The Sulina channel is part of the route to Ukraine’s Danube ports of Reni and Izmail.
Key points
- Three commercial ships were attacked by drones near the Danube Delta and Sulina on the evening of 14 November 2026.
- Romanian defence ministry radar detected airborne targets, prompting fighter jets to scramble twice.
- The Palau-flagged Larissa 1 was hit about 12 km north of Sfântu Gheorghe and was sailing toward Sulina with Ukraine as its final destination.
- Greek-flagged oil tanker Evia Petrol V shot down a drone about four nautical miles southeast of Sulina and caught fire.
- A third vessel about five nautical miles southeast of the Sulina strait was shot down and also caught fire.
- Romanian authorities identified the vessels as Larissa 1, Evia Petrol V and Marsol; the defence ministry separately named Ali Najafov as the third ship on the morning of 15 November.
- Romania has not publicly established who carried out the strikes.
Why it matters
The strikes hit commercial shipping in and near Romanian territorial waters, increasing risks for civilian navigation in the Black Sea. The Sulina channel forms part of the route to the Ukrainian Danube ports of Reni and Izmail, so attacks on vessels using this corridor directly affect Ukrainian maritime trade. Romania and its allies said they would continue measures to strengthen Black Sea security, while the European Union allocated €50 million to accelerate the creation of a Black Sea Maritime Security Hub.
What happened
Drones attacked three commercial ships near the Danube Delta and Sulina in Romanian waters on the evening of 14 November 2026. The Palau-flagged Larissa 1 was hit about 12 km north of Sfântu Gheorghe while heading toward Sulina, with Ukraine as its final destination; Romanian media reported that its cargo crane was damaged, with no fire or crew injuries. The Greek-flagged oil tanker Evia Petrol V shot down a drone about four nautical miles southeast of Sulina and subsequently caught fire. Another vessel about five nautical miles southeast of the Sulina strait was shot down and also caught fire.
Romanian defence ministry radar detected airborne targets in the area, and the Romanian air force scrambled fighter jets twice. Defence Minister Ștefan-Radu Oprea said the circumstances were being investigated and that the military was coordinating with the Naval Forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Border Police. Air raid warnings were issued at least twice in different districts of Tulcea before the attack. The Romanian authorities did not publicly say who carried out the strikes.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage highlights the Sulina channel’s role in the route to the Danube ports of Reni and Izmail and in Ukrainian grain exports, particularly after Ukraine suspended operations at its Black Sea ports due to Russian strikes. With the ports on the Danube able to handle only an estimated 15–20% of Ukraine’s grain exports, according to commercial director Olena Shelest of the HarvEast agroholding, attacks on shipping in this corridor add to the risks facing Ukrainian maritime trade. The incidents also follow a broader deterioration in Black Sea security, including earlier attacks on civilian vessels near Romania and Bulgaria, while shipping companies are avoiding dangerous routes and insurance rates are rising.
How international sources describe it
The international framing focuses on Romania’s condemnation of the attacks, the scramble of fighter jets, protection of seafarers and coordination with regional partners and NATO. The strikes were presented as unacceptable alleged violations of international law and as evidence of worsening Black Sea security. As a wider response, the European Union allocated €50 million to accelerate the creation of the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub. Turkey has also proposed a moratorium on attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea to Ukraine and Russia, according to Mykhailo Honchar, president of the Strategy XXI globalistics centre.
Where reporting differs
Accounts conflict over the outcome for the Palau-flagged vessel. One report says Larissa 1’s cargo crane was damaged, with no fire and no crew injuries; another says fires broke out on all three attacked vessels, were extinguished by the crews and caused no injuries. There is also some difference in identifying the third vessel: an account naming Evia Petrol V and Marsol calls it Ali Najafov, while other reports omit its name.
Background
The attacks follow a series of strikes on commercial shipping near Romania and Bulgaria. Since 5 October, drones or other weapons have damaged at least 13 cargo ships and tankers in or near Romanian and Bulgarian waters or their exclusive economic zones. Earlier in October, the sinking of the Khoryv near Constanta killed one Ukrainian citizen and injured four others. Another vessel was described as Ali Najafov in the account naming Evia Petrol V and Marsol, while other reports omit its name. In 2026, 570 vessels were reportedly attacked in the Black Sea, killing at least 40 seafarers, with 24 confirmed deaths in the Strait of Hormuz.
The European Union allocated €50 million to accelerate the creation of the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub. The Sulina channel is part of the route to the Ukrainian Danube ports of Reni and Izmail. In September, waits to enter the channel lasted more than two weeks because of bureaucratic procedures, a shortage of pilots and rising traffic. The Financial Times named the Black Sea the world’s most dangerous shipping route on 25 October.