The civilian grain carrier “Aua”, which was attacked by Russia, was in the exclusive economic zone of Romania, the BBC reports.
According to media reports, the ship was heading from the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk. The missile strike occurred at approximately 11:00 p.m. local time, when the ship was 55 km from the Romanian port of Sfintu Gheorghe in the Danube Delta. As a result of the explosion, the cargo hold and the crane on the port side were damaged, but the ship remained afloat and was able to reach the Romanian port of Constanta.
The BBC clarifies that although Romania is a member of NATO, the Alliance’s collective defense guarantees only apply to sovereign territory, while the exclusive economic zone does not fall into this category.
Radio Svoboda reports that 22 crew members were on board the grain truck, and all of them remained unharmed.
According to Bloomberg, after this attack, wheat prices on world markets increased by 2.2%, which was the largest increase in the last two months. On the Chicago Stock Exchange, wheat futures reached a price of $5.9175 per bushel (38.7 kg).
The attack on the Aua ship took place against the backdrop of low wheat harvests in the leading producing countries and a projected reduction in supplies from exporters. For example, France, the largest producer of wheat in the EU, is expected to have its worst harvest in more than 40 years.
