Three Wounded in Strike on Ukraine-Bound LPG Tanker in Black Sea
Usagevpn.com – A significant maritime incident unfolded in the Black Sea when a propane-carrying vessel bound for Ukraine was hit by what appears to be a Russian attack. The LPG tanker Gas Lisbon, which was transporting cargo to the Ukrainian port of Reni, sustained damage that wounded three crew members and necessitated a full evacuation of all personnel onboard. Romanian President Nicușor Dan confirmed the details of the incident in a statement released on Tuesday, describing it as a serious event that may constitute a criminal act by Russia.
According to President Dan’s announcement on the social media platform X, the attack occurred outside Romanian territorial waters, approximately 20 nautical miles from the Romanian coastline. The vessel, which flies the Liberian flag, was struck during nighttime hours, triggering a major fire on board. Following the incident, two rescue vessels operated by the Romanian Agency for the Salvage of Human Life at Sea quickly responded to the scene. These vessels successfully evacuated the entire crew, including the three injured members, and brought all personnel safely to shore.
Investigation Underway for Maritime Incident
Romanian state authorities have been immediately mobilized to conduct thorough investigations into the circumstances surrounding the attack. President Dan emphasized that investigators will work to determine the exact causes and assign responsibilities for what he described as a serious incident. The Romanian leader expressed confidence that the strike was most likely a deliberate act perpetrated by Russia against the Ukraine-bound vessel. The Gas Lisbon had departed from the Egyptian port city of Alexandria carrying more than 3,790 tonnes of propane, destined for the Ukrainian port of Reni, which sits on the Danube River adjacent to the Romanian border.
The timing of this maritime incident coincides with an intensified phase of Russian military operations against Ukraine. Russian attacks continue to target Ukrainian cities on a daily basis as the Kremlin seeks to increase pressure on Kyiv. Ukrainian officials reported that the Kremlin conducted strikes on multiple cities overnight into Tuesday. Ukraine’s Air Force stated that it successfully intercepted 46 of 58 drones launched from Russia across the border, marking the latest escalation in what has become an intensified offensive campaign.
The aerial attacks targeted numerous regions across Ukraine, including Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and the industrial eastern Donbas region. The Donbas area, which has been under majority Russian occupation for several years, constitutes roughly 22% of Ukraine’s territory. Local officials in Kherson reported that one regional administration employee was killed in the strikes, while another woman sustained fatal injuries. In other parts of Ukraine, authorities confirmed that strikes in Chernihiv and Sumy provinces caused major fires at various locations, prompting local emergency response teams to intervene and extinguish the blazes.
“The vessel was struck outside Romanian territorial waters, approximately 20 nautical miles off the Romanian coast,” said Romanian President Nicușor Dan in a post on X.
Ukraine has simultaneously launched counteroffensive operations against Russian targets. Ukrainian media outlets reported that attacks on Russia’s western city of Lipetsk caused fires to break out at industrial facilities during the early hours of Tuesday. Lipetsk Regional Governor Igor Artamonov confirmed that a fire had erupted at the facility and noted that authorities had launched an investigation to determine the causes, though he declined to officially confirm that an attack had occurred.
The complex affected by the Ukrainian strikes is the NLMK steel plant, situated approximately 400 kilometres east of Ukraine’s border. This facility represents Russia’s largest steel producer and accounts for roughly 20% of the country’s total steel output. Ukrainian media sources indicate that the plant supplies steel to companies involved in missile production for the Russian military, making it a strategic target in Ukraine’s ongoing counteroffensive efforts against Russian military capabilities.
