Attacks on 2 commercial ships near Bulgaria reignite fears that the war in Ukraine will spread to Europe

Wrapped in a sheet, a survivor receives medical attention. He is one of 18 sailors who were rescued after a drone attack caused a fire on a merchant ship loaded with grain in the Black Sea. Rescue teams are still trying to locate the crew of another ship that was also bombed and sank.

The two vessels were sailing 112 km away from the city of Byala, on the east coast of Bulgaria. The Black Sea also borders Romania, Turkey, Georgia, Ukraine and Russia. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev declared the attack on the country's exclusive economic zone unacceptable. He avoided identifying where the drones came from, but said that:

Bulgaria is a member of NATO, the Western military alliance. As does Romania, which borders Ukraine. According to the rules of the alliance, if one of the members is attacked, all the others must defend him.

On Monday (5), two people died in a fire on a ship near the Romanian coast. Ukraine claimed the incident was caused by a drone and accused Moscow of being behind the three attacks. Russia did not comment.

The Black Sea is the main grain export route for Russia and also Ukraine - countries that are among the largest producers in the world. Attacks on ships and ports in the region make this trade increasingly dangerous, which could have serious consequences for the global food supply.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, declared that the situation in the Black Sea is increasingly worrying. She stated that these attacks on civilians violate international law.