Crew of tanker that was hit off coast of Romania reported attack by three enemy drones
Two crew members of the tanker, which was struck off the coast of Romania, reported that the vessel had been hit several times by attack drones.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported in an article by Digi24.
Attacks on the tanker and the crew’s actions
According to the rescued sailors from the tanker Gas Lisbon, the vessel was struck by three drones. Alexander Megrelidze, a crew member from Georgia, said he felt the first impact whilst he was in his cabin. In total, he said, there were three strikes.
Despite their emotional state, the crew followed protocol. The sailors organised the evacuation and provided assistance to their three injured colleagues.
"We followed protocol and helped the wounded," said one of the crew members.
Another sailor, Alexander Arro, reported that the attack took place at around 23:00. He believes there were initially two drones. One struck the engine room, the other the ship’s living quarters. A third drone attacked approximately three hours later.
Details of the attack and previous incidents
Romanian rescue workers arrived to assist the crew 4–5 hours after the attack.
On 21 July, the President of Romania reported that a tanker flying the flag of Liberia had been struck off the country’s coast. The vessel was en route from the Egyptian port of Alexandria to the Ukrainian port of Reni on the Danube. At the time of the strike, it was approximately 20 nautical miles off the coast of Romania.
Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, condemned Russia’s actions and thanked Romania for rescuing the crew.
- Earlier, on 19 July, Russia struck the civilian vessel Golden Leo, which was carrying a cargo of grain, near Odesa. The attack killed 10 people.
