Gas tanker hit by drone off Romania, three crew injured en route to Ukraine

A gas tanker carrying over 3,790 tonnes of propane was struck by a naval drone in the Black Sea on Monday night, igniting a fire and injuring three crew members. The LPG Gas Lisbon, sailing under a Liberian flag, was en route from Alexandria, Egypt, to the Ukrainian river port of Reni when it was attacked about 20 nautical miles off the Romanian coast.

What happened

The vessel was hit by a drone of unknown origin, causing severe damage and a fire in the superstructure. The 17-person crew took refuge in the bow and had to be evacuated via life rafts due to adverse weather preventing helicopter rescue. Two of the injured suffered serious burns covering 10–15% of their bodies, while a third had multiple wounds and hemorrhaging Source: elnacionalve. Romanian maritime rescue agencies dispatched two boats to evacuate all crew safely to shore Source: euronewses.

• The attack occurred outside Romanian territorial waters, per President Nicușor Dan Source: infobae.
• The fire continued burning in the superstructure the following morning, and a tugboat secured the vessel to prevent drifting Source: infobae.

The reaction

Romanian President Nicușor Dan stated the incident "very probably forms part of the illegal war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine" Source: elnacionalve. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine circumstances, causes, and responsibilities Source: euronewses. No group has claimed responsibility, and the drone's origin remains unconfirmed, though regional analysts note the attack aligns with patterns of Russian strikes on Ukraine-linked infrastructure. Meanwhile, Russia continued missile and drone strikes across Ukraine overnight, with Ukraine intercepting 46 of 58 drones Source: euronewses.