Romania holds Russia responsible for attacks on civilian ships in Black Sea

Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu has stated that Russia is making the Black Sea into a dangerous area for civilian ships.

Source: European Pravda, citing Țoiu on X (Twitter)

Details: Țoiu noted that Romanian air and naval units of the Coast Guard and Emergency Situation Service are actively engaged in search and rescue operations, searching for the missing crew members of the ship that was attacked on the morning of 15 October in Romania's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.

Quote: "The 5 crew members that were already taken by helicopter to the hospital in Constanta are stable, some receive medical care for burns and smoke inhalation."

Details: She stated that in its war against Ukraine, contrary to all norms of international law, Russia "is making the Black Sea into a dangerous area for civilian ships".

Quote: "The killing of merchant mariners in the region and all over the world is a crime. Russia bears full responsibility for these developments."

"Over the last 24 hours, four merchant ships were targeted, including in Romanian territorial waters and its economic exclusive zone and eight lives were lost," the Romanian foreign minister said.

"These are callous and murderous attacks against civilians. This happens at the same time that we see an increasing number of Russian Shahed and other types of air and maritime drones entering our space, three of them just today. Our military has lifted fighter jets for preventive air policing," Țoiu added.

Details: She noted that Romania had informed its allies and European partners of the latest incidents.

Quote: "Investigations are under way and we are closely coordinating with our Allies and partners and we will step up efforts to strengthen NATO's collective ability to respond effectively to such incidents and reinforce its deterrence and defence posture."

Details: Țoiu also said that Romania had agreed that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will convene a NATO General Assembly within days.

Background:

• It was previously reported that amid increasingly frequent drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, Romania has proposed that NATO's Black Sea states establish a joint military command and lead it on a rotational basis.
• On 14 October, Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced that Romania and Bulgaria had agreed to deepen cooperation on countering drones and ensuring the security of commercial shipping in the Black Sea.

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