Symbolic imageRomania shoots down two drones over Black Sea after tanker attacks
Romanian F-16s shot down two drones over Romania's territorial waters on Saturday. The tankers hit earlier in the week left seven sailors missing.
Acting defence minister Radu Miruta said Romanian pilots downed the drones after radar spotted a group of aerial targets about 120 kilometres east of Snake Island. Two chemical tankers anchored near the Sulina canal, an export route for Ukraine, were hit on Thursday, 15 October, and seven crew members are still missing. A NATO military source told Reuters that Russian drones hit them. At least five other cargo ships have been hit near the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts in the past 10 days, with 23 sailors dead or missing, mostly outside NATO waters.
Bucharest turns to allies
President Nicusor Dan said on Friday evening that Romania had asked European allies for support, and that France had already offered equipment. On Saturday he told French president Emmanuel Macron of Romania's deep concern and welcomed French solidarity on shipping safety.
Other opinions
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Kyiv of trying to discredit Russia to win more Western aid, saying no evidence yet establishes who attacked ships in Bulgaria's economic zone. Bulgarian authorities say they suspect Russia but cannot prove it.