Two Ships Hit By Drones Off Bulgaria, One Sinks In Second Such Attack In A Week

Two ships were hit by drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast on Tuesday, October 13, and one sank, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. It was the second such incident in a week.

The Ukrainian-owned ship Chelsea 3, which sails under the Maltese flag, was hit by three drones about 18 nautical miles (33 km) off the Bulgarian coast at around 1:30 a.m., Radev said.

All 15 crew members were rescued. They included seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis. Five crew members received medical treatment, but none was seriously injured. One crew member from the sunken ship was also rescued, Radev said.

The identity of the second ship was not given. It was also unclear whether Chelsea 3 was the vessel that sank.

Radev described the incident as “absolutely unacceptable” and said it was another attack near Bulgarian territorial waters, in a televised address.

He said there was no clear evidence showing who was behind the attacks. However, he said “the outcome benefits the Russian Federation”. Radev added that he would summon the Russian ambassador and speak with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

The incident comes a week after drones hit two merchant ships in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone on October 6. The Togo-flagged cargo ship Alfa Watan sank, while the grain ship Able was damaged.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia for that attack. Russia denied involvement. Its embassy in Sofia said Alfa Watan was not among the ships targeted by Russian drones. The Russian Defence Ministry said an investigation was needed to establish where the drones came from.

Bulgaria does not share a land border with Russia or Ukraine. However, it is a NATO member and lies on the Black Sea, where both countries have major ports.

The Black Sea is an important route for grain and other goods, especially exports from Ukraine. Further attacks on merchant ships could put vessels operating in the region at greater risk.

There are also concerns about drone attacks as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. However, it remains unclear who carried out the latest attacks.

References: Reuters, TOI