In brief
The BTA reports that the 11,000‑tonne cargo tanker Mentor, being towed by the Ramazan Bey from Constanța, has broken free after the towlines detached. The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications is coordinating with maritime authorities and monitoring the vessel, while the tug remains in the area; contact has already been established with the ship’s owner and further details are being gathered.
A Bulgarian cargo tanker, Mentor, carrying approximately 11,000 tonnes of sunflower oil, has drifted off the coast of Shabla after its towlines broke during a rescue operation that began in the Port of Constanța, Romania, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications.
The incident was first reported by the Bulgarian news agency BTA, which noted that the vessel was being pulled by the tugboat Ramazan Bey when the towlines detached. BTA further reported that the tug remained in the vicinity of the tanker, transmitting its position through the Automatic Identification System (AIS) while the crew maintained communication with vessel traffic control services.
In its official communique, the ministry said it was monitoring the situation closely and coordinating with maritime administrations in both Bulgaria and Romania. The report added that the tug had been instructed to keep its position close to the drifting vessel as additional information was being collected.
The ministry also stated that it had established contact with the owner of the tanker, and that the owner was cooperating in the assessment of the circumstances that led to the breakage of the towlines. No casualty or damage reports were mentioned in the initial communique.
According to BTA, the situation was being assessed in collaboration with the relevant maritime authorities, and the ministry was gathering further information about the incident. The report highlighted that the tug’s AIS signal was still being received, indicating that the crew remained in contact with control services and were following instructions from maritime traffic authorities.
While the tanker has not yet been secured, the BTA report indicated that the monitoring process continues. As of the latestUpdate, the tugboat Ramazan Bey has been instructed to wait in the vicinity of the tanker, but no further actions, such as a re‑tow or towing line repair, have been announced by the Bulgarian ministry or by the Romanian port authorities.
With the incident unfolding in real time, the BTA noted that the ministry was coordinating with the international maritime community to ensure that the tanker’s drift does not pose a risk to coastal navigation or environmental safety. No environmental impact assessments have yet been published, and the tanker’s operation status remains subject to ongoing monitoring by transport and maritime authorities in the region.
