Drones Are Sinking Ships Off NATO's Coast. Europe Must Defend Its Own Waters, and Moscow Must Accept a Black Sea Ceasefire
Drone strikes set two tankers ablaze near Romania on Oct. 14 and 15, leaving seven sailors missing, and at least 23 sailors have been reported missing or killed in 10 days. In our view, Europe should lead the defense of its own shores while Washington keeps pressing Moscow to stop.
By Clara Hughes
ALTAS WORLD NEWS OPINION | By Clara Hughes, Chief Opinion Editor | October 16, 2026 | 6-min read Seven sailors are missing in the cold, rough waters of the Black Sea. Early Thursday, the San Marino-flagged tanker Wine Trader caught fire about 13 nautical miles east of the Danube mouth at Sulina, roughly a mile outside Romanian territorial waters, after what Romania's president said was a drone strike; the night before, another tanker, the Yara J, was hit just inside Romanian waters [1][2][3]. Romania and Bulgaria are NATO members. In our view, this is a direct test of whether Europe will defend its own shores, and of whether Moscow will finally accept the naval ceasefire that the United States and Europe have urged [1]. Key Takeaways Seven of the Wine Trader's 12 crew members are missing after the Oct. 15 strike; all crew on the Yara J, hit Oct. 14, were safe [1][3]. At least 23 sailors have been reported missing or killed in attacks near Bulgaria and Romania in the past 10 days, Reuters reported [3]. A NATO military source told Reuters the drones were "of Russian origin"; Bulgaria's prime minister said there is no "solid evidence" yet [3].