Seven sailors remain unaccounted for and another five were evacuated by helicopter from the Wine Trader, which was struck by drones while at anchor in the Black Sea, off the Romanian port of Sulina. The news was confirmed by the Naval Register of the Republic of San Marino, which is following the search and rescue operations. The five men recovered, including the captain, are reported to be in good health.
The vessel, identified by IMO number 8808707, was bound for Moldova to load seed oil. Twelve crew members were on board: nine nationals of Benin, two Croatians and one citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The preliminary reconstruction of events is based on the captain’s account, gathered by the Register through the ship’s owning and management company. At around 4 a.m., a first drone reportedly struck the accommodation area, sparking a fire. Five crew members attempted to put out the flames using the main and emergency fire pumps.
“From the earliest stages of the emergency, seven crew members failed to respond to roll call,” the Register reports. “The extremely dangerous conditions on board, caused by the fire and the damage sustained by the vessel, made it impossible to search for them.”
According to the captain’s account, two further drones struck during the emergency — one again hitting the accommodation area and the other striking the ship’s midsection. The damage, particularly to the fire-water distribution system, made it impossible to continue fighting the blaze.
The five men battling the fire then moved to the bow, where they awaited rescue. “All five were subsequently evacuated by helicopter and are reported to be in good health,” the statement adds.
A rescue vessel has since come alongside the Wine Trader to allow specialised personnel to board and begin search operations. The Register remains in contact with the company and the relevant authorities: “The absolute priority remains establishing the fate of the seven missing sailors and completing the search operations on board.”
