Bucharest, July 21 (SANA)Romanian President Nicușor Dan announced on Tuesday that a Liberian-flagged vessel was subjected to an attack near Romanian territorial waters, leaving three crew members injured.

Dan stated in a post on the X platform that the LPG tanker LPG Gas Lisbon was hit approximately 20 nautical miles (40 kilometers) off the Romanian coast while en route fromEgypttoUkraine.

The president noted that rescue teams evacuated the ship’s crew, including the three injured members, while a tugboat was dispatched to ensure the vessel does not drift or pose a hazard to maritime navigation.

Dan suggested that the strike was likely part of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the recent escalation witnessed in theBlack Seaover recent weeks, stressing that Romanian state institutions remain on high alert to clarify the circumstances surrounding the attack.

European Union officials had previously stated that Russian and Ukrainian drones repeatedly violated Romania’s airspace and territorial waters this year as part of the military escalation between the two sides.

TheRussia-Ukraine warescalated further at the beginning of July, with both sides shifting toward targeting economic facilities and critical infrastructure to increase mutual pressure.