Romanian authorities deploy helicopters and boats to rescue crew of damaged Wine Trader vessel

The cargo ship Wine Trader was hit in the Black Sea, probably by a drone, and suffered severe damage near the port of Sulina. Romanian emergency services activated a multi-agency response, involving the Border Police, the General Aviation Inspectorate and the General Emergency Situations Inspectorate. Two Black Hawk helicopters, one carrying a medical team, flew from Bucharest to the scene, both fitted with winch systems for extracting people in distress.

To augment aerial support, two vessels were sent: the Fifi from Mangalia with a doctor, two paramedics and a medical assistant, and a multi-role boat from Tulcea carrying three paramedics and four crew members. A border police ship maintains a constant watch over the area. Rescue operations are delayed due to very high waves, and the priority remains the safe extraction of the four crew members.