Russian drones strike civilian cargo ship in Black Sea, leaving seven crew missing

Around 04:00 on Friday, the cargo ship Wine Trader was struck by a series of Russian-made Geran drones while sailing toward Giurgiulești to load vegetable oil, according to the Liberated Navigators' Union (SLN). The first drone hit the lower part of the vessel’s superstructure, and subsequent drones shredded the hull into twisted steel. Five crew members managed to reach safety, but seven sailors - a Croatian deck officer and six citizens of Benin - are still missing, likely trapped beneath the wreckage.

Specialized search teams equipped with cutting tools have boarded the ship to locate the missing. The union stresses that the attack shows a widening threat to civilian shipping in the Black Sea, which is no longer limited to vessels linked to Ukraine. Authorities in Romania, Croatia and the International Transport Workers' Federation are coordinating with families and foreign ministries over the incident.