Two Romanian villages were evacuated on Monday after a Russian drone struck a Turkish-flagged tanker, setting it ablaze in southern Ukraine. The MT Orinda was hit while offloading liquefied petroleum gas at Izmail port on the Danube River, which forms the border between Romania and Ukraine.
All 16 crew members were evacuated and no injuries were reported, according to Turkey's Directorate for Maritime Affairs. However, the strike sparked fires and damaged energy and port infrastructure in the Odesa region, with one person injured, said Oleh Kiper, head of Odesa's regional military administration.
Romanian authorities ordered the evacuation of people and animals from the villages of Plauru and another nearby settlement due to fears the tanker could explode. The cargo of liquefied natural gas was deemed highly flammable, necessitating the precaution.
The attack occurred as part of an overnight Russian air assault involving two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 128 drones, according to Ukraine's air force. It came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a deal to import energy resources through the region, including US liquefied natural gas via Greece.
The strike highlights Russia's continued targeting of Ukraine's Danube ports, which are vital for Ukrainian imports and exports amid the nearly four-year-long war. Izmail is one of several ports crucial for Ukraine's energy infrastructure, particularly as winter approaches.
