The CHRISTINA B, a coal transport vessel, was damaged in the Black Sea, possibly due to a mine or drone explosion, with no crew injuries reported.
CHRISTINA B Damaged Off Romania: Possibility of Drone or Mine
The 77,000 DWT CHRISTINA B, transporting coal from the United States to Ukraine, was damaged in an explosion that occurred in Romania's exclusive economic zone. Romanian authorities are initially considering the possibilities of a collision with a maritime drone or an explosion of a naval mine. There were no injuries among the crew.
A new incident concerning the safety of commercial vessels in the Black Sea occurred on the night of July 23 to July 24 off the coast of Romania.
The Liberia-flagged CHRISTINA B reported damage approximately 22 nautical miles southeast of the Sfântu Gheorghe settlement in Romania's exclusive economic zone. The vessel was carrying a coal cargo it had loaded at the Port of Norfolk, USA, to Ukraine.
According to the preliminary assessment by the Romanian Emergency Situations Department, the damage around the ship's No. 6 cargo hold may have resulted from a collision with a maritime drone or the explosion of a naval mine. Authorities emphasized that the information is preliminary and subject to change.
Two rescue vessels were dispatched.
The captain of the CHRISTINA B made a distress call via the international maritime communication channel. Initially, two vessels from the Romanian Maritime Rescue Agency, SAR APOLLO and SAR ARTEMIS, were sent to the scene due to the possibility of crew evacuation. A helicopter from the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs also conducted aerial reconnaissance.
In a later assessment, it was reported that there were no injuries on board, the crew had decided against evacuation, and the ship was in a condition to navigate towards the shore on its own. It was reported that the shipowner instructed the vessel to head to either the Port of Constanța or Varna for repairs.
According to Gard records, the 2007-built CHRISTINA B has an IMO number of 9304162, a carrying capacity of 77,053 DWT, and a gross tonnage of 40,424 GT. The ship flies the Liberian flag and is registered under the ownership of Blumenthal Asia Pte. Ltd.
Since the source of the explosion has not yet been determined, it cannot be definitively stated that the incident was an attack carried out by a state or armed party. The possibility of a mine drifting to the vessel or a remotely guided drone attack presents different scenarios in terms of technical investigation and international law.
Determining the perpetrator without examining VDR records, the direction of the explosion on the hull, particle analysis, radar traces, and military surveillance records in the area is not journalism; it would be akin to guessing the flag in foggy weather.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
