In brief
A Ukrainian‑registered merchant ship sank and a second vessel was severely damaged after drone strikes off the coast of Bulgaria. Prime Minister Rumen Radev has summoned the Russian ambassador and implicated Russia in the attacks, though no conclusive evidence has yet been presented. The incident follows a series of drone strikes on commercial shipping in the Black Sea, drawing sharp condemnation from Ukraine, the EU and NATO, while Moscow maintains that it targets weapons shipments to Ukraine. The attacks raise serious concerns about maritime security and food‑security supplies that cross the Black Sea.
Ship sinks after drone attacks off Bulgaria; PM summons Russian envoy.
A merchant ship registered in Ukraine sank after being struck by a drone, while a second vessel, the Maltese‑flagged Chelsea 3, was hit by three drones and its 15‑member crew rescued near the town of Byala.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev, speaking at a security meeting, said the attack was "absolutely unacceptable" and that Russia was "suspected" of orchestrating the strikes. He has summoned the Russian ambassador, Eleonora Mitrofanova, to Bulgaria for a discussion.
The two vessels were located 17 nautical miles east of Krapets and 18 nautical miles from Byala, within the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone. According to Radev, no conclusive evidence has yet linked the attacks to either side, but he emphasised the logic that the outcome would benefit the Russian Federation.
The incidents occur as part of a recent pattern of drone strikes on commercial shipping in the Black Sea, including the sinking of the Alfa Watan last week, which claimed the lives of all 10 crew, nine of whom were Syrians.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, has stated that the attacks demonstrate Moscow’s "deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security," and called the Black Sea a key pathway for global food supplies. He urged a stronger response to the situation.
Turkey has also called on both Russia and Ukraine to stop the targeting of merchant vessels. Russia, on its part, says it is striking ships that it claims are carrying weapons and dual‑use goods to Ukrainian ports, while Ukraine argues that the vessels are transporting grain and other civilian cargo.
The latest attacks add to escalating tensions that have seen the Black Sea become an active front in the broader conflict between Russia and Ukraine, following the full‑scale invasion launched by Moscow in 2022. NATO and the EU have been asked by Bulgaria for assistance in investigating the incidents.
