Coal-carrying vessel bound for Ukraine damaged in Black Sea

Khrystyna Bondarieva , VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - 24 July, 12:32

Photo: Romania’s Department for Emergency Situations on Facebook

A commercial vessel, the Liberia-flagged Christiana B, has been damaged in the Black Sea near the Romanian coast while carrying coal from the United States to Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda, citing Romania's Department for Emergency Situations

Details: The incident reportedly occurred on the night of 23-24 July in Romania's exclusive economic zone, approximately 22 nautical miles, or about 40 km, south-east of the settlement of Sfântu Gheorghe.

The vessel, which was sailing from the US port of Norfolk to Ukraine, transmitted a distress signal via a maritime communications channel, reporting damage and the possible need to evacuate the crew.

After receiving the signal, the Romanian authorities launched a rescue operation. Two rescue vessels, SAR Apollo and SAR Artemis, as well as a helicopter operated by the Interior Ministry's aviation unit, were dispatched to the area.

The ship's captain later reported that none of the crew members had been injured, evacuation was no longer necessary, and the vessel was able to continue towards the coast under its own power for repairs.

Early findings indicate that the damage may have been caused by a naval drone strike or the explosion of a sea mine.

The Romanian authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and coordinate the work of all the services involved.

Background:

This is the second serious incident involving commercial vessels in the area in recent days. On 21 July, the Liberia-flagged vessel Gas Lisbon, which was carrying propane and heading to a Ukrainian port, caught fire following an explosion near Sfântu Gheorghe.
The entire crew was rescued, but three sailors were injured, and one of them later died in hospital. The vessel's crew claimed that it had been struck by three drones.
Romanian President Nicușor Dan said that the vessel had been hit outside the country's territorial waters.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that the Russian strike on the tanker was yet another manifestation of Russia's terrorist actions and proof that the Kremlin had no regard for international maritime law.

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