Drone attack in Bulgarian waters: two merchant ships hit, one sank, crew not found

Two merchant ships were attacked by sea and air drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at a meeting with heads of key departments convened in connection with the incident.

Shipping industry sources told Reuters it appeared to be the first such attack in Bulgarian waters.

“As a result of the attack, two ships were hit,” Radev said in a televised address. The crew of one of them, transporting grain, was rescued, two were injured. Another ship sank, information about its cargo has not been disclosed, its crew is listed as missing.

A maritime security source told Reuters that initial assessments suggested the attack was likely carried out by Russia.

Radev did not say who was behind the attack, but mentioned Russia's war in Ukraine. “If this war is not stopped in a timely manner, it will continue to expand its geographical boundaries and increase the risk of even global conflict,” he said.

Moscow did not comment on the incident, which came a day after Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky accused Russia of striking a civilian ship carrying corn. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the attacks “unacceptable.”

Radev said the two vessels were attacked around 3 a.m. about 110 kilometers east of the Bulgarian town of Byala. One ship sank and the second was damaged, Radev said.

The sunken Turkish bulk carrier Alfa Watan was reportedly heading to Sulina (Romania), flying the Togolese flag. The nearby Bulgarian cargo and passenger ship Dioscuria headed to the scene after its crew noticed the explosion. There they found an overturned boat, three overturned life rafts and life jackets, but no people have yet been found. The fate of the crew of the sunken ship remains unknown.

The second ship, located five nautical miles (9 km) from the first, was also damaged and a fire started on board. Its crew was evacuated and rescued with the participation of Dioscuria, the Border Guard Service and the Bulgarian Navy.

Two crew members were injured: one received burns, the other a head wound. They were sent to the port of Varna for medical assistance. The remaining 16 people were evacuated to a Border Patrol boat. Among the crew members of the second vessel are 11 Turkish citizens and seven Indian citizens.

British maritime risk management group Vanguard said the Togo-flagged bulk carrier Alfa Watan and the Palau-flagged bulk carrier Able were attacked within Bulgaria's economic zone on Tuesday.

Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea is just over 29,000 square meters. km - about 6% of the total area of ​​the Black Sea.

Russia's Defense Ministry said Sunday it would step up strikes across Ukraine in response to Zelensky's statements last week in which he said Kyiv would step up attacks on Russian oil refineries.

The drone attack comes after an incident reported by Romanian authorities on Monday in which two people died in a fire on a ship in the Black Sea outside Romanian territorial waters.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky blamed Russian drones for the incident. Russian authorities did not comment on the incident.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, European countries have repeatedly reported incursions into their airspace by Russian drones, as well as mines floating in the Black Sea along trade routes.