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Russians Strike Neutral Oil Tanker Off the Coast of Romania: A Liberian-flagged LPG tanker bound for Ukraine was struck in international waters off the Romanian coast, Romanian President Nicușor Dan posted on X on July 21.
Romanian emergency rescue personnel were launched to rescue the crew from the stricken vessel and brought to shore.
The vessel was en route to the port of Reni in Ukraine, located on the Danube River next to the border with Romania. The ship had departed carrying more than 3,790 tons of propane from the Egyptian port city of Alexandria when it was attacked.
"Last night, the LPG Gas Lisbon, a Liberian-flagged vessel, was hit outside Romanian territorial waters, approximately 20 nautical miles (40 km) off the Romanian coast," President Dan wrote.
Three Sailors Wounded In The Attack
Shortly after the strike, two specialized vessels from the Romanian Agency for Saving Human Life at Sea deployed to the scene and “evacuated the entire crew, including three injured members,” with Dan adding that “all were brought safely to shore.”
Romania sent a tugboat to secure the ship and ensure the vessel did not drift and pose a danger to navigation.
"Two victims had burns covering approximately 10-15 percent of their bodies, and the third had suffered multiple wounds and was bleeding," the emergency services said.
In the past year, Russian and Ukrainian drones have repeatedly breached the airspace and territorial waters of Romania, officials in the European Union and NATO have said.
Russia has either denied responsibility for reported attacks on Romania, said they were carried out by Ukraine, or blamed Ukrainian "provocation."
"State institutions are on alert and will clarify the circumstances, causes and responsibilities related to this serious incident, most likely part of the illegal war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine," Dan said.
Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech said the Liberian-flagged LPG carrier had 3,790 tons of propane onboard at the time of the incident, and that significant damage was caused along with a fire in the superstructure.
Russia Has Attacked Other Neutral-Flagged Vessels
On 21 July, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that its armed forces continued strikes against Ukrainian ports used to deliver cargo to Ukraine’s armed forces.
“As a result of strikes with air-based high-precision weapons, port facilities used for unloading and storing cargo intended for support of the AFU were hit in the Port of Odesa.”
The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) said Sunday two oil tankers, the Liberia-flagged Asia and the Marshall Islands-flagged Nissos Ios, were attacked by drones near its Black Sea terminal, condemning what it called the fifth "act of direct aggression" against a civilian facility protected under international law.
The Russians also attacked a neutral grain ship on July 19, flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau off the coast of Odesa, killing 10 people, including a Ukrainian maritime harbor pilot.
The ship was manned by 17 crew members holding Syrian and Indian citizenship, and carrying a load of corn when it was struck. A Ukrainian search and rescue crew was dispatched and safely transported the eight survivors of the vessel to shore.
On July 18, in an attack on the port of Odesa, the Russians struck another foreign-flagged commercial vessel, sailing under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. The attack killed one sailor and wounded three others. A follow-on attack targeted the search and rescue crews.
On July 17, a commercial vessel flying the flag of the Marshall Islands was attacked by Russian missiles.
On July 14, Russian forces attacked two other merchant vessels sailing under the flags of Tanzania and Liberia in the Black Sea. The captain of one of the ships was killed in the strike.
On July 13, Russian missiles targeted a civilian cargo vessel flying the flag of Togo while it was unloading mineral fertilizers at a Ukrainian port. Five crew members were killed, and another five were injured.
NATO Tension: Turkey Warns Of The War Spreading Into The Black Sea
On July 16 in Kyiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the risk of the conflict spreading, which Türkiye has warned about since the war began, remains a serious threat.
"We do not want the war to be carried into the Black Sea," Fidan said, adding, "The targeting of ports, tankers, and fishing boats in the Black Sea and putting civilians' lives at risk cannot be justified."
"Freedom of navigation and commercial security in the Black Sea are of vital importance. I discussed this with the Russian side during my visit to Moscow and also with my esteemed counterpart here," Fidan said.
About the Author: Steve Balestrieri
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications
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