Russia's Black Sea strikes in Romanian waters test Nato's response - Carnegie Europe
Dimitar Bechev of Carnegie Europe wrote that the October 14 drone attack on the Comoros-flagged tanker Yara J near the port of Sulina was the first to land in Romania's territorial waters rather than its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The commentary said seven ships have been hit by aerial and underwater drones this month along the same stretch of EU and Nato coastline, and 27 crew are confirmed dead or missing. It added that Bucharest has reported at least six incursions by Russian drones, and Romanian F-16 fighters shot down two drones over the country's territorial waters on October 17.
Why it matters: The episode illustrates the security theme: hybrid attacks below the Article 5 threshold are testing Nato's collective defence and the EU's ability to deter them.