Drone attack sinks ship off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast as rescue details emerge
Bulgaria says a merchant ship has sunk after drones hit two vessels off its Black Sea coast, in an incident that has prompted a diplomatic response from Sofia and renewed concern over maritime security in the region. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said one ship went down 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, while another was struck 18 nautical miles from Byala. He said the attacks took place at sea rather than in port and described the situation as serious.
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According to the latest confirmed details, 15 crew members were rescued from the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3 after it was hit by three drones, and five of them suffered minor injuries. A separate vessel sank after the attack, with one crew member saved from the water. Radev said he had summoned the Russian ambassador, Eleonora Mitrofanova, and that Bulgaria would seek technical assistance from NATO and the European Union as investigators try to establish what happened.
The incident comes a week after two other commercial ships were hit by sea and aerial drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, including the sinking of the Alfa Watan. In that earlier case, all 10 crew members, including nine Syrians, were presumed dead. The repeated attacks have raised the stakes for Bulgaria, which is a NATO member with a coastline on a strategically important stretch of the Black Sea.
The Black Sea has become increasingly sensitive because of the wider war between Russia and Ukraine, and attacks on merchant shipping can have consequences beyond the immediate coastline. They can disrupt trade routes, increase insurance costs and add pressure on coastal states to strengthen surveillance and response capabilities. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Black Sea was becoming another front of escalation in Russia's war in Ukraine, while Ukraine directly blamed Russia for the latest attacks.
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Russia has not publicly commented on the latest incident. Moscow has previously said it is targeting ships delivering weapons and dual-use cargo to Ukrainian ports, while Kyiv and its European allies say civilian merchant vessels carrying grain and other goods are being attacked. Radev said there was no conclusive evidence yet on responsibility, but added that the logic suggested the outcome benefited Russia.
What remains unclear is who launched the drones, what type of drones were used and whether the two vessels were struck in a coordinated operation. Investigators will also need to determine how the drones reached the ships and whether the latest attack is linked to the earlier incidents off Bulgaria. The next developments to watch are the rescue and investigation findings, any further diplomatic steps from Sofia and whether NATO or EU assistance is formally provided.
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