Drones strike two ships off Bulgaria, one sinks
Two ships were struck by drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast overnight, with one sinking, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Tuesday, as attacks on commercial vessels in the region intensified.
Speaking after an emergency meeting of the government’s Security Council, Radev said Bulgaria had no conclusive evidence identifying those responsible but argued that Russia stood to benefit from the attacks. He said he would summon Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova for talks.
“We do not have solid and clear evidence to make accusations against either side,” Radev said, adding that Bulgaria would continue efforts to establish the origin of the attacks.
Crew rescued after strike on cargo ship
A distress signal was received at 1:30 a.m. local time from the Malta-flagged, Odesa-registered cargo ship Chelsea 3, located about 18 nautical miles east of Byala, according to Radev.
The vessel, which he said was Ukrainian-owned, had reportedly been hit by three aerial drones on its deck and side. Bulgarian border police rescued all 15 crew members, including seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis. Five crew members were receiving treatment for injuries believed to be minor.
The 136-metre general cargo ship was travelling from the Turkish Black Sea port of Giresun to Giurgiulesti in Moldova, maritime outlet Maritime.bg reported.
A second vessel was struck about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets and sank, Radev said. One crew member was rescued, while the identity of the vessel and further details of the incident remained unclear.
A maritime source said the vessel AZOV CONCORD had not been hit but was assisting in a search-and-rescue operation for the crew of the sunken ship. The source suggested that the vessel involved may have been HS Dignity, northeast of Cape Shabla, while stressing that the incident was separate from the attack on Chelsea 3.
Bulgaria seeks stronger maritime security
Radev described the latest attacks near Bulgarian territorial waters as “absolutely unacceptable” and said the country’s representatives to NATO and the European Union had been informed.
He also said he would speak with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and called for technical assistance to strengthen surveillance of Bulgarian airspace and maritime areas, as well as the country’s response capabilities.
On Monday, Radev had already requested assistance from the EU and NATO to identify those responsible for drone attacks on commercial shipping on October 6. Authorities had been unable to locate drone debris that could help establish their origin.
Black Sea shipping risks increase
The latest incidents follow attacks on October 6 that sank the Togo-flagged cargo ship Alfa Watan and struck the Palau-flagged vessel Able, whose 18 crew members were rescued. The ships were attacked approximately 70 nautical miles east of Byala and were managed by Türkiye-based companies.
The incidents have heightened concerns over the safety of commercial shipping as Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to affect Black Sea maritime routes.
London’s Joint War Committee has expanded the Black Sea high-risk zone by nearly 2.4 times to approximately 411,200 square kilometres, a move expected to put further pressure on shipping insurance costs.
Bulgaria’s navy said it had processed more than 300 reports of mines and floating hazards since the war began. It also reported destroying more than 30 drones, missiles and pieces of debris in 2026 alone.
Bulgaria, Türkiye and Romania operate a joint Black Sea mine countermeasures group as regional authorities face growing security challenges and mounting risks to commercial vessels.
Source:turkiyetoday
