Eleven sailors are missing after drones struck two merchant ships off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, with one vessel sinking, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has said.
The Black Sea attacks took place near the Bulgarian coast on Tuesday, prompting Radev to describe the incidents as “absolutely unacceptable” and announce plans to summon Russia’s ambassador. He also said he would speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Two ships hit by drones
According to Radev, the first distress signal was received at around 1.30am local time and concerned a vessel that had been struck by three drones.
The ship, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, is Ukrainian-owned and registered in Odesa. Its 15 crew members, comprising seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, were rescued and taken to the port of Varna. Five sustained minor injuries and received medical treatment.
A second vessel was subsequently struck about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets and sank. Bulgarian authorities said five crew members had been rescued, while 11 remained missing.
Local media identified the sunken cargo ship as the Azov Concord. Its Turkish-based management company had not commented on the incident at the time of reporting.
Bulgaria points to Russia
Radev said Bulgaria had no conclusive evidence to publicly assign responsibility to either side, but indicated that assessments by Bulgarian authorities pointed towards Russia.
He convened an emergency meeting with security officials and said he had summoned Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova. He also planned to discuss the attacks with NATO’s secretary general.
Bulgaria, a NATO member, had previously requested technical assistance from NATO and the European Union to investigate drone attacks on commercial vessels in its exclusive economic zone on 6 October.
One ship hit during last week’s incidents, the Alfa Watan, sank. Its 10 crew members, including nine Syrians and one Egyptian, remain missing, while the crew of another vessel was rescued.
Ukraine and EU condemn attacks
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha directly blamed Russia for the latest attacks and called for increased pressure on Moscow.
He described the Black Sea as vital to global food security and accused Russia of using attacks to turn hunger into a weapon.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the incidents, saying the Black Sea had become another front in the escalation of Russia’s war against Ukraine. She called for those responsible to be held accountable.
Russia’s military had not publicly commented on the latest attacks at the time of reporting.
Black Sea shipping increasingly exposed
The incidents come amid growing threats to commercial shipping in the Black Sea since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Russia says it targets vessels delivering weapons and dual-use cargo to Ukrainian ports. Ukraine and its European allies, however, accuse Moscow of attacking merchant ships carrying civilian goods, including grain.
Ukraine has also carried out attacks against Russian maritime targets. On the same day as last week’s incidents off Bulgaria, Ukraine struck an oil tanker in the Russian Black Sea port of Sochi.
Turkey has called on both countries to stop attacks in the Black Sea, amid concerns over maritime security and the region’s importance to international food supplies.
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