Strike on Ukraine-bound gas tanker wounds three in Black Sea

A strike hit the Liberian-flagged LPG tanker Gas Lisbon in the Black Sea while it was carrying propane to the Ukrainian port of Reni, wounding three seafarers and forcing the crew to evacuate, Romanian President Nicusor Dan said Tuesday. Dan said the ship was struck overnight outside Romanian territorial waters, about 20 nautical miles from Romania's coast. He said authorities were still establishing who had hit the tanker, but said the incident was most likely connected to Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Ukraine blamed Russia, calling the strike a deliberate act of terror. Russia made no immediate public comment. The vessel was carrying more than 3,790 tonnes of propane from Alexandria, Egypt, and the strike caused a major fire on board. Romanian emergency services said two rescue vessels evacuated all 17 crew members. Three required emergency medical care. Emergency services said two had burns over about 10 to 15 percent of their bodies, and a third had multiple wounds and was bleeding. Authorities did not immediately identify the weapon used. The Black Sea has been a regular area of confrontation between Ukraine and Russia since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022. Also Tuesday, India summoned Russia's top envoy in New Delhi to protest a weekend attack on a cargo ship leaving Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa that killed four Indian nationals.