A Turkish-flagged LPG carrier has been engulfed in flames after being struck by an unidentified projectile during offloading operations at Ukraine’s Port of Izmail on Monday, the latest escalation in what Splash yesterday described as an increasingly dire and volatile security environment across the Black Sea and Danube corridor.
The 4,000 cu m Orinda gas carrier, with 16 crew onboard, was discharging cargo when the blast hit, triggering a fire visible across the river. Turkey’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs confirmed the strike but gave no indication of the weapon used. All crew evacuated safely without injuries, though the blaze continued into Tuesday.
Ukrainian officials blamed a wave of Russian drone attacks targeting Izmail overnight, which damaged port infrastructure and multiple merchant ships. Imagery analysed by security firm Ambrey appears to show two vessels hit, including a bulk carrier with a UAV impact on its starboard side and a gas tanker set ablaze. Local authorities have reported one casualty.
The shockwave from the strike forced the evacuation of residents in Plauru, Romania, just across the Danube, marking yet another cross-border incident testing NATO patience, happening on the same day Polish rail infrastructure was damaged, likely by Russian operatives. Romania has repeatedly reported Russian drones entering or crashing on its territory during nocturnal raids on Ukrainian port assets.
Yesterday, Splash reported on the intensifying threat environment in the region, warning that merchant shipping in the Black Sea and Danube is facing the most dangerous operating conditions since the early months of the war.
