Drone attack off Bulgaria’s coast sinks cargo ship, leaving 11 sailors missing

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that two cargo ships near Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast had been struck by drones, with one of them sinking. He said 11 sailors were missing. Radev called the attack unacceptable, said he would summon the Russian ambassador and stated that the incident had been reported to NATO.

In a Facebook post, the prime minister said the first alert was received at 01:30 and concerned a ship in distress whose crew was rescued. The Ukrainian-owned vessel, which was flying the Maltese flag, had been hit by three drones.

Radev said another ship was subsequently attacked and sank. At that point, he said, one crew member had been rescued.

Responding to the incident, the Bulgarian prime minister said the attack on merchant ships near Bulgaria’s territorial waters was unacceptable. He added that he would discuss the matter with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Bulgarian government figures show that the first strike occurred 18 nautical miles east of Byala, while the second incident was recorded 17 miles east of Krapets. Both are coastal towns on the Black Sea.

The first ship, Chelsea 3, registered in Odessa, had seven Ukrainian nationals and eight Azerbaijani nationals on board. The entire crew was taken to the port of Varna, while five people are receiving medical treatment for minor injuries.

Bulgarian authorities said five crew members had been rescued from the second ship, while 11 others remained missing.

Local media reported that the cargo ship was named Azov Concord. The Turkish company managing it has not yet commented on the incident.

Radev said there was still no clear and indisputable evidence to accuse either side. However, he added that Bulgarian authorities attributed responsibility for the attacks to Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called on X for increased pressure on Russia, describing the Black Sea as a vital route for global food security.

Sybiha also said Russia was carrying out attacks in the area with the aim of using hunger as a weapon and holding the entire world hostage.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the attacks and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

In a post on X, von der Leyen said the Black Sea had become another front in the escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine, calling the situation unacceptable.