On the night of July 23–24, Romanian authorities were informed about an incident involving the merchant vessel Christiana B, which was transporting coal from the United States to Ukraine under the Liberian flag, the Department for Emergency Situations reported.
“Preliminary assessments indicate that the damage sustained in cargo hold No. 6 may have been caused by a collision with a naval drone or an explosion of a naval mine,” the department said in a Facebook statement.
According to the Romanian side, the vessel was located in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, approximately 22 nautical miles southeast of the city of Sfântu Gheorghe. An emergency distress signal was transmitted via the international maritime channel; the crew reported an incident on board and requested assistance, as there was information at the time about a possible need for crew evacuation.
SAR Apollo and SAR Artemis vessels of the Romanian Agency for Saving Life at Sea (ARSVOM) were dispatched to the scene. At the same time, a helicopter of the General Aviation Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs carried out an aerial reconnaissance mission to assess the situation.
According to information provided by the ship’s captain, there were no casualties and the crew no longer required evacuation. In addition, the vessel is capable of continuing its voyage to shore for technical inspections and repairs.
“Romanian authorities are monitoring the development of the situation and maintaining operational cooperation among all structures with responsibilities in this area in order to provide the necessary support and take appropriate measures. Given the dynamic nature of the operational situation, the information provided is preliminary and may be subject to change,” the statement noted.
