Drone attack sinks ship off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast as Radev summons Russia’s ambassador
Drones hit two merchant ships off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast overnight, sinking one, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. All 15 crew of the Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3 were rescued; Radev said the outcome “benefits” Russia and summoned its ambassador.
What happened: Two merchant ships were hit by drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, and one of them sank, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Tuesday, according to the BBC and an AP/Reuters report published by Al Jazeera. It is the second attack of its kind near Bulgarian waters in a week.
The Chelsea 3: The Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3, sailing under a Maltese flag, was hit by three drones about 18 nautical miles (33km) off Bulgaria at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday local time (22:30 GMT Monday, or 6:30 p.m. ET), Radev said, as reported by Al Jazeera. The BBC said the ship was hit off the town of Byala and is registered in Ukraine’s Odesa. UPI reported Radev said the crew’s distress call described three drones striking the vessel’s deck and side.
The crew: All 15 crew members of the Chelsea 3 — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — were rescued, Radev said. Five received medical treatment for minor injuries, and no one was seriously hurt, according to Al Jazeera and the BBC. UPI reported they were brought ashore in Varna.
The ship that sank: The second vessel went down about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, and one crew member was saved, Radev said, according to the BBC. Radev gave no further details about that ship. UPI reported that a major air-sea search was under way for 11 missing crew members; that figure had not been confirmed by other outlets ReadingDlaw News reviewed.
Who did it — what we know: Radev said there was no clear or conclusive evidence of who carried out the attack, but that “the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation,” the BBC and UPI reported. He called the attack “absolutely unacceptable” and summoned Russia’s ambassador, Eleonora Mitrofanova. The BBC said Bulgarian media later quoted Mitrofanova as telling Radev she had no information from Russia’s defense ministry about the attacks and suggesting they could have been a provocation by a third party. Russia’s military has not publicly commented, the BBC said.
NATO and EU response: Bulgaria is a NATO member, and Radev said he was due to speak with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. UPI reported Bulgaria had notified its permanent representatives to NATO and the EU and was seeking help to investigate and to strengthen its air and maritime surveillance. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks on X, saying “The Black Sea has become another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine” and “Those responsible should be held accountable.”
Ukraine’s view: Ukraine directly blamed Russia, the BBC reported. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the attack “once again demonstrates Moscow’s deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea.”
A week after the last attack: Last week, drones hit two other ships off Bulgaria’s coast, and one sank. The BBC identified the sunken ship as the Alfa Watan and said all 10 of its crew, including nine Syrians, are presumed dead; Al Jazeera said the 10 remain unaccounted for. Moscow says it is targeting ships carrying weapons and dual-use cargo to Ukraine, while Kyiv and its European allies say grain and other civilian cargo ships are being hit, the BBC reported.
What’s still unknown: The name and flag of the ship that sank Tuesday, the fate of its remaining crew, and who launched the drones.