Bulgaria Calls for Answers After Drone Attacks Sink One Ship and Damage Another

Attacks on Two Merchant Ships

Bulgarian officials said that several crew members are unaccounted for after a drone strike hit a merchant ship off the nation’s coast, prompting the authorities to summon the Russian ambassador.

They added that overnight two merchant vessels came under attack in the Black Sea. The Black Sea, a vital corridor for trade and energy shipments, has seen increased tension in recent months. One of them, the Guinea‑Bissau‑flagged HS Dignity, sank about fifteen nautical miles east of the village of Krapets, triggering an urgent search and rescue mission.

Rescue Operations and Crew Details

The second vessel, the Malta‑registered Chelsea 3 which is owned by Ukraine, was struck by three drones while sailing roughly eighteen nautical miles off the coast of Byala. All fifteen crew members were rescued and taken to the port of Varna, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. He noted that the rescued sailors comprised seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis.

Official Statements and Calls for Action

Both the president and the prime minister of Bulgaria strongly condemned the attacks in waters near the country, saying they appeared likely linked to Russia. In a social media post on Tuesday, Radev stated that Bulgaria continues to seek support for an investigation to establish the drones’ country of origin. He added that there is no clear and conclusive evidence to assign blame to either side, but that the logic points to the outcome benefiting the Russian Federation, and therefore he will summon the Russian ambassador for a meeting today. Radev also said he had informed NATO allies and the European Union of the incidents, explaining that Bulgaria is asking for help to improve its air and maritime surveillance and defence capabilities.

International Responses

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the Black Sea as another front of escalation in the Russian war on Ukraine, calling the situation unacceptable. She condemned the attacks on merchant ships near Bulgaria’s shore without naming Russia directly and insisted those responsible must be held accountable. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance will keep working closely with its partners in the Black Sea and has already reinforced its posture on the eastern flank.

This is a developing story and will be updated.