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Concerns regarding maritime security in the Black Sea escalated once again when a commercial chemical tanker, 'Wine Trader', came under a suspected drone attack near Romanian territorial waters.
Following this attack, a massive fire broke out on the upper structure of the vessel, leaving it severely damaged.
The San Marino-flagged tanker had 12 crew members on board. According to initial reports, several sailors are reported missing following the incident, and an emergency operation has been launched to search for them.
However, the Romanian Naval Authority said extremely high waves and adverse weather are making it difficult for rescue teams to reach the site and carry out relief operations.
Romanian authorities and expert agencies are closely investigating whether the attack was indeed carried out by drones. Such recurring incidents in the region have raised serious questions about the safety of regional trade and commercial vessels.
