The Greek-flagged oil tanker Evia Petrol V was struck just after 9 p.m., followed 35 minutes later by a strike on another ship, the Marsol, according to a statement from Romania’s defense ministry published on its Facebook page.
“In both cases, the fires were extinguished by the ships’ crews. No casualties were reported,” the ministry said.
A third vessel, the Ali Najafov, also reported being struck overnight. It remains unclear who launched the drones.
Romania’s military detected aerial targets on radar and sent F-16 fighter jets into the air. Authorities also issued warnings to residents near the coast about possible drone threats.
The attacks came after another commercial ship, the Larissa 1, was reportedly hit by a drone near Romania’s coast on Friday.
Romanian Defense Minister Ștefan-Radu Oprea said Sunday he would raise the incidents with allied counterparts in Brussels. “We need the solidarity of our allies,” he said, calling for more surveillance aircraft and equipment to defend against drones.
Last week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU will help finance some Black Sea security costs following recent attacks on commercial shipping.
In October, at least seven commercial vessels were struck by drones in the Black Sea close to NATO and EU members Romania and Bulgaria, leaving more than 20 sailors dead and dozens missing.