EUROPE / FOREIGN DRONE EVENTS

Strike · Romania

LARISSA 1 damaged in reported drone hit off Romania; crew safe

· LARISSA 1 off Sfântu Gheorghe · Reported drone hit

Drone hit acknowledged by defence minister; vessel and territorial-water position identified in reporting

A reported aerial-drone hit damaged the cargo crane of LARISSA 1 near Sfântu Gheorghe on the evening of 13 November 2026. Maritime authorities were notified around 21:40 local time. No injuries, deaths or fire were reported.

Romania’s defence minister acknowledged the overnight hit on 14 November. TVR identifies the vessel, while Europa FM places the reported incident 6.8 nautical miles northeast of Sfântu Gheorghe in Romanian territorial waters. Exact impact coordinates have not been published.

The operator, origin and intended target remain unknown. Technical findings were pending, and no link to the separate Tulcea aerial-target alert has been established.

Show on the interactive map →

Attribution and uncertainty

Origin / operator / attribution
Operator, nationality, launch location and intended target unknown. The defence minister withheld origin findings pending technical examination.
Investigation / uncertainty
Official acknowledgement supports drone causation but does not supply precise coordinates or responsibility. Ship identity and territorial-water position rely on reporting; repeated coverage may share underlying sources. No connection to the separate northern Tulcea warning N157 is established.

Sources · 4

  1. TVR Info ↗Radu Oprea, despre nava lovită de o dronă în apropiere de Sfântu Gheorghe2026-11-14 10:37 local; updated 10:40
  2. TVR Info ↗Navă lovită de o dronă în apropiere de Sfântu Gheorghe. Macaraua de marfă a fost avariată, nu sunt răniți2026-11-14 08:46 local; updated 12:02
  3. Europa FM ↗Un nou atac în apele teritoriale române. O navă străină a fost lovită de o dronă aeriană2026-11-14; occurrence evening 13 November
  4. Antena 3 CNN ↗O navă cargo cu destinația Ucraina a fost lovită de o dronă lângă Sf. Gheorghe2026-11-14 09:43 local; updated 13:39

Full record

Strike

Strike for the reported damaging drone hit, without implying a confirmed blast, deliberate targeting or identified attacker. No separately inferred airspace-entry record.

Rounded editorial offshore estimate for the reported northeast sector; not an AIS position, verified impact coordinate or independent maritime-boundary determination. Territorial-water status follows the sources.

Map positions are approximate anchors for the named place, not verified incident coordinates.

Reported date
2026-11-13 evening (reported around 21:40 local)
Record type
reported_maritime_drone_strike
Date basis
Reports published 14 November describe Friday evening, 13 November. Europa FM and Antena 3 describe 21:40 as the notification/report time; TVR calls it the incident time. Exact impact time is not independently established.
Location / jurisdiction
Black Sea, reported 6.8 nautical miles northeast of Sfântu Gheorghe, within Romanian territorial waters according to the cited reporting. Exact impact coordinates unpublished.
Event categories
Reported aerial-drone hit on merchant ship; cargo-crane damage; no reported casualties or fire
What was reported
The captain reported an aerial-drone hit to maritime authorities on 13 November. On 14 November the defence minister acknowledged an overnight ship drone hit; TVR’s associated report identifies LARISSA 1.
Aircraft / vessel / quantity
LARISSA 1, reported Palau-flagged cargo vessel. An aerial drone was reported by the captain; model and exact number are not established.
Origin / operator / attribution
Operator, nationality, launch location and intended target unknown. The defence minister withheld origin findings pending technical examination.
Damage / casualties / disruption
Cargo crane damaged according to TVR and reported destroyed in the captain-based account. No injuries, deaths or onboard fire reported. Other damage and final seaworthiness not independently established.
Response / outcome
Europa FM reports that Sulina traffic monitoring relayed the incident and the Romanian Naval Authority’s maritime coordination centre contacted the vessel. The minister said naval and interior/coast-guard authorities were in contact and technical findings were pending.
Investigation / uncertainty
Official acknowledgement supports drone causation but does not supply precise coordinates or responsibility. Ship identity and territorial-water position rely on reporting; repeated coverage may share underlying sources. No connection to the separate northern Tulcea warning N157 is established.
Route / entry mechanism
No verified drone approach or border-crossing track. Europa FM and Antena 3 describe the vessel approaching Sulina anchorage before continuing toward Ukraine; its precise movement at impact is not independently verified.
Explosive payload
Payload and weapon configuration unknown; no verified explosion is assigned.
Counting / links
One vessel-impact record. Damage, maritime notification and ministerial acknowledgement are follow-ups to the same occurrence, not separate events. N157 is a distinct alert with no established common target.
Research provenance
Added after targeted 14 November source review of TVR’s ministerial acknowledgement and vessel report, Europa FM correspondent account and Antena 3 follow-up. This targeted addition does not close unrelated EU coverage gaps.

Record N158 · reviewed 14 November 2026. Record fields keep the register’s original wording.