Greek-flagged tanker likely hit by drone off Sulina

A Greek-flagged chemical tanker was hit by an unmanned aerial vehicle off Sulina on 14 November 2026, specialist maritime outlet Maritime.bg reports, citing its own sources. According to the report, the vessel was less than five nautical miles from the Romanian coast. The claim of a strike currently comes from a single source. At the time of publication, Flank had found no independent confirmation.

Fire reported, but crew's condition unknown

Maritime.bg reports that video footage sent by vessels in the area shows, according to the outlet, a fire on deck. According to Maritime.bg, the crew's condition remains unknown. At the time of publication, there was also no official confirmation from the Romanian authorities of a strike on the tanker.

The tanker's name and operator, its cargo and the extent of any damage remain unknown. The type and origin of the alleged unmanned aerial vehicle have not been established either. Even if the time and location of the footage showing the fire are verified, the footage alone does not establish its cause. This is a developing story and further information may emerge.

Two F-16s took off after an aerial target was detected

Romania's Ministry of National Defence reported an aerial target detected east of Snake Island on 14 November, Maritime.bg reports. Two F-16s took off from the 86th Air Base. The military command centre notified the emergency services, and at 20:51 the RO-Alert system sent a warning to residents in the eastern part of Tulcea County.

No link has been established between this aerial target and the reported tanker incident. The statement on the fighters' take-off does not mention an interception, the use of weapons or the protection of this particular vessel.

Confirmed strike off Sfântu Gheorghe is a separate incident

The previous evening, on 13 November, a cargo ship was hit off Sfântu Gheorghe. Romanian Defence Minister Radu Oprea confirmed that he had been notified of a drone strike and said there were no injuries or fatalities. His statement was covered by Romanian television news channel Digi24 and Romanian defence and security portal Defense România.

Digi24, citing the publication Ziua de Constanța, identifies the vessel as the Palau-flagged Larissa 1 and says the incident occurred at around 21:40, approximately 12 kilometres north of Sfântu Gheorghe. The captain reported damage to a cargo crane and specified that there had been no fire, the television channel reports.

The differences in flag, location and reported damage are significant. The minister's confirmation of the earlier incident does not confirm the report of a Greek tanker on fire off Sulina. The report that there were no casualties aboard Larissa 1 likewise does not apply to the crew of the allegedly affected tanker.