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Drone strikes cargo ship in Romanian waters, defence minister confirms no injuries

Romania's minister Ștefan-Radu Oprea said an investigation was under way after Friday's strike near Sfântu Gheorghe. The attack is at least the tenth against merchant shipping near NATO coasts since October, according to The Insider.

A damaged cargo ship alone on the dark sea at dusk.
Illustration generated with AI.

A drone hit the MV Larissa 1, a commercial ship heading to Ukraine, near Sfântu Gheorghe in Romanian territorial waters on Friday evening, 13 November, around 21:40, Bulgarian and Romanian media reported. The Romanian Defence Minister, Ștefan-Radu Oprea, confirmed the incident and said there were no injuries or deaths. Speaking at the Military Port of Constanța on Saturday, he said an investigation is under way.

The strike on the Larissa 1 was at least the tenth against a merchant ship near the coasts of NATO countries since the beginning of October 2026, according to The Insider. According to the Kyiv Post, more than 300 attacks in the Black Sea this year have killed over 30 seafarers and left more than 20 missing. Four days before the strike, on 9 November, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced €50 million for the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub.

BTA, Jurnal de Constanța and Mediafax put the strike about 7 nautical miles north-east of Sfântu Gheorghe in Tulcea county. The drone damaged a cargo crane, and no fire broke out. According to Starboard Maritime Intelligence data examined by The Insider, the Larissa 1 is owned by AKN SHIPPING LTD, registered in Liberia and physically located in Turkey. The ship had sailed from Bizerte in Tunisia and was bound for the Romanian port of Sulina, from where it was to continue to Ukraine.

Oprea said he had been informed during the night. Oprea added that he was in contact with the Navy, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Coast Guard. Two F-16 aircraft took off to monitor Romanian airspace, and Romania's Ministry of Defence said no airspace violations were reported.

Oprea said Romanian pilots had shot down six drones up to that day, and called them heroes within NATO forces. On 23 October, a commercial ship was hit by drones 13 nautical miles from Constanța, leaving one sailor dead and three missing.