A crew member aboard the tanker Gas Lisbon has died following a drone strike in the Black Sea, according to reports from Romanian media outlet G4Media.
The sailor, who suffered severe burns covering 30% of his face including his airways, succumbed to his injuries after the vessel was hit.
The incident marks a grim escalation in the ongoing targeting of commercial shipping in the region.
The attack on the Gas Lisbon adds to a pattern of violence against civilian vessels in the Black Sea.
Earlier reports indicated that three foreign-flagged civilian vessels were struck by Russian drones in the area, resulting in at least one fatality and raising alarms among shipping operators.
The targeting of commercial tankers directly threatens the flow of energy exports and imports through one of the world's key maritime corridors.