Propane-butane tanker sets ablaze off Romania's coast, reportedly hit by naval drone

In the Black Sea, within Romania's exclusive economic zone some 26 kilometres from the town of Sfântu Gheorghe, the tanker Gas Lisbon exploded and caught fire while carrying more than 3,790 tonnes of propane-butane. The vessel was sailing from Alexandria, Egypt, to the Ukrainian port of Reni in Odesa region, but never reached its destination.

According to Romanian broadcaster Digi24, the tanker was struck by a naval drone. Three crew members were injured — two suffered burns covering around 10-15% of their bodies, while the third sailor sustained more serious injuries, the exact nature of which has not been disclosed by authorities or the media.

Romania's president said on X that shortly after the incident, two vessels from the Romanian Naval Search and Rescue Agency arrived at the scene and evacuated the entire crew, including the three injured sailors. All were safely brought ashore.

"State authorities are on alert and will determine the circumstances, causes and responsibility for this serious incident, which appears to be part of the Russian Federation's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine," the president stated. He added that a tugboat had been sent to the tanker to prevent it from drifting and posing a hazard to shipping.

The crew was unable to evacuate on their own: immediately after the explosion, the sailors took shelter in the bow of the ship. A nearby merchant vessel maintained contact with Romanian rescue services, effectively acting as a relay station. Due to poor weather conditions, rescuers were unable to send a helicopter, so the evacuation was carried out using the SAR APOLLO rescue vessel, which launched two boats.

Local media report that several hours after the explosion, fire was still raging aboard the tanker. For the sake of maritime safety, all vessels in the area were warned and advised to steer clear of the affected zone.

Russia regularly attacks civilian ships travelling to and from Ukraine across the Black Sea. Just last Sunday, a Russian strike hit a Turkish civilian grain carrier, killing several people on board.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz