11 Seafarers Missing After Drone Attack Sinks Cargo Ship Off Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast

Eleven sailors were missing after a drone attack sank a cargo ship off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. A second merchant ship was also hit by three drones, but all its crew members were rescued.

The attacks prompted Bulgaria to summon Russia’s ambassador and seek support for stronger maritime and airspace surveillance.

Five crew members were rescued from the sunken ship, which Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova identified as the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity.

The vessel sank about 15 to 17 nautical miles east of the Bulgarian village of Krapets, near the Romanian border. The search for the missing sailors was still underway on Tuesday, October 13.

However, reports differed over the ship’s name. Bulgarian media also identified the sunken vessel as the Azov Concord. The cause of the attack and who was responsible had not been established.

The second vessel, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, was hit by three drones near the Bulgarian coast off Byala. All 15 crew members, including seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, were rescued. Some suffered injuries, but none were reported to be seriously hurt.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the attacks and said they had taken place close to Bulgarian territorial waters. He said there was no clear evidence to blame either side but argued that Russia benefited from the outcome. He also announced that Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova would be summoned.

Russia had not publicly commented on the attacks at the time of reporting. After meeting Radev in Sofia, Mitrofanova said she had no information from the Russian Defence Ministry about attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. She also did not rule out the possibility that a third party could have been responsible, according to the Bulgarian government.

The incidents came a week after two merchant ships were hit by drones in Bulgaria’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone on October 6. One of the vessels, the Alfa Watan, sank.

All 10 crew members, including nine Syrians and one Egyptia, were reported lost at sea. The crew of the second vessel was rescued, but the search for those aboard the sunken ship was later called off.

Ship-tracking data from LSEG and MarineTraffic showed that the Chelsea 3 had called at the Romanian port of Tulcea on October 3 before sailing towards the Bulgarian coast. The vessel was carrying cargo and was listed at 72% of its full load.

The HS Dignity was also partly loaded. It was sailing towards the Romanian port of Braila and had previously called at the Algerian port of Mostaganem, according to the tracking data.

The attacks have also raised concerns about the movement of grain through the Black Sea. Russia and Ukraine are both among the world’s largest grain exporters, making the safety of shipping routes in the region important to international food supplies.

Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian Black Sea ports, forcing Ukraine to rely more on Danube river ports and shipping routes close to Bulgaria and Romania.

Ukraine has also increasingly targeted Russian grain-exporting ships in other parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, near the mouth of the Don River.

Bulgaria asked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for support in strengthening maritime and airspace surveillance, the Bulgarian government said.

Radev discussed the issue with both leaders by telephone on Tuesday. Rutte said NATO would adjust its military presence along the alliance’s eastern flank as needed and continue working with its Black Sea allies.

Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov also spoke with his Romanian and Turkish counterparts about security in the Black Sea.

Ukraine blamed Russia for the latest attacks. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strikes showed Moscow’s disregard for civilian lives and maritime security.

Von der Leyen also condemned the attacks, describing the Black Sea as another front in the escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine. She called for those responsible to be held accountable.

References: Reuters, CNN