Explosion · Romania
LPG ship crew report drone attack off Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania
· Off Sfântu Gheorghe
Suspected maritime attack; drone cause unconfirmed
During the night and morning of 21 July 2026 explosions badly damaged an LPG-carrying merchant ship in the Black Sea, about 26 km off Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania, and the vessel caught fire. The position was reported to be outside Romania's territorial waters.
Two crew members described a night-time attack by three drones. Their account is treated as an allegation, not a final identification of the weapon: the drone type, the devices and charges used, the launch point and the operator or nationality have not been identified, and a drone cause has not been confirmed.
Romanian maritime rescue services intervened and brought the crew to safety. Injuries were reported, including burns. The incident is separate from a bulk carrier's emergency off the same coast on 24 July and from the Progress IV incident in August.
Attribution and uncertainty
- Origin / operator / attribution
- Operator/nationality unidentified
- Investigation / uncertainty
- Eyewitness drone account retained as an allegation, not a final weapon identification.
Sources · 1
Full record
Map positions are approximate anchors for the named place, not verified incident coordinates.
- Reported date
- 2026-07-21
- Date basis
- Night/morning 21 July; crew interviews published 21 July; EEST
- Location / jurisdiction
- Black Sea, approximately 26 km off Sfântu Gheorghe; reported outside territorial waters
- Event categories
- Reported strike; ship explosion/fire; crew rescue
- What was reported
- Two crew members described a night-time drone attack.
- Aircraft / vessel / quantity
- LPG-carrying merchant vessel; crew described 3 attacking drones; drone type unresolved
- Origin / operator / attribution
- Operator/nationality unidentified
- Damage / casualties / disruption
- Vessel badly damaged; crew rescued; injuries reported, including burns
- Response / outcome
- Romanian maritime rescue intervention; crew brought to safety.
- Investigation / uncertainty
- Eyewitness drone account retained as an allegation, not a final weapon identification.
- Route / entry mechanism
- Approach and launch point not established
- Explosive payload
- Explosions reported; device type and charges unidentified
- Counting / links
- Distinct from 24 July bulk-carrier emergency E034 and August Progress IV E053. Not three separate incidents merely because crew reported three drones.
- Research provenance
- Prior research; relevant event source rechecked during export
Record E033. Record fields keep the register’s original wording.