In the night of July 24, a new incident involving commercial transport occurred in the Black Sea. The cargo ship Christiana B was damaged in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Romania. At the time of the incident, the ship was traveling from the USA to Ukraine carrying a cargo of coal.
Information about the incident was confirmed by the press service of the Romanian Emergency Management Department. The vessel, flying the flag of Liberia, was sailing from the American port of Norfolk. The damaged ship is located in waters controlled by Romania, which required immediate intervention by local rescue services.
Distress Signal and Attack Theory
The ship's crew sent a distress signal via the international maritime communication channel, reporting hull damage and requesting assistance. Initially, there was information about the possible need for the urgent evacuation of crew members.
According to preliminary assessments published by Romania Insider, the cause of the incident could have been a strike by a maritime drone or detonation on a naval mine. These versions are considered the most likely scenarios of what happened.
Rescue Operation
Romanian authorities promptly launched an emergency response plan. Specialized rescue vessels SAR Apollo and SAR Artemis, belonging to the Romanian Agency for Rescue at Sea, were dispatched to the scene.
Aerial reconnaissance was conducted using a helicopter from the General Aviation Inspectorate of the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs to assess the situation. Rapid response forces arrived on site to support the crew.
Incident Outcome
The situation on board has stabilized. According to information received from the ship's captain, there are no casualties among the crew members. Evacuation was not required as the crew managed to cope with the consequences of the damage.
The vessel Christiana B retained its seaworthiness and is capable of continuing its movement towards the shore. Technical inspections and repair work to eliminate the damage are planned at the nearest port.
Context: Series of Attacks on Shipping
This incident is not an isolated one. Just a few days ago, on July 21, the President of Romania reported damage to another tanker flying the flag of Liberia off the coast of the country. That ship was traveling from Alexandria, Egypt, to the Ukrainian port of Reni.
At that time, the ship was approximately 20 nautical miles from the Romanian coast. According to the crew, the tanker was hit by three drones, which led to the start of evacuation and assistance to the injured. The repetition of such scenarios indicates a continued high threat to shipping in the region.
