Crew reveals tanker off Romanian coast hit by three drones
Two rescued crew members of the tanker Gas Lisbon say the vessel was struck by three drones, with the final attack occurring three hours after the first, according to their testimony.
Two rescued crew members of the tanker Gas Lisbon have revealed that the vessel was hit by three unmanned aerial vehicles off the Romanian coast.
Testimony of the rescued sailors. Georgian sailor Alexander Megrelidze said he felt the first hit while in his cabin, and there were three strikes in total. Despite the emotional distress, the crew followed protocol, evacuated the ship, and assisted three injured colleagues.
Another crew member, Alexander Arro, reported that the attack occurred around 11 p.m. He believes there were initially two drones – the first struck the engine room, the second hit the living quarters. The third drone attacked approximately three hours later. Romanian rescuers arrived 4–5 hours after the initial strike.
Context and reaction. On July 21, the Romanian president announced that a tanker sailing under the Liberian flag had been struck near the country's coast. The Gas Lisbon was en route from Alexandria, Egypt, to Reni, Ukraine, on the Danube, and was about 20 nautical miles from the Romanian shore at the time of the attack.
Acting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned Russia's actions and thanked Romania for rescuing the crew. Earlier, on July 19, Russia struck the civilian vessel Golden Leo carrying a grain cargo near Odesa, killing 10 people.
