Drones strike two commercial ships off Bulgaria, one sinks as 15 crew rescued from Ukrainian-owned vessel
Drones struck two commercial vessels off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast overnight on October 13, sinking one and damaging a Ukrainian-owned ship carrying seven Ukrainian crew members, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. Bulgaria plans to summon the Russian ambassador but says responsibility for the attacks has not been established.
A distress call was received at around 1:30 a.m. from the Chelsea 3, a Maltese-flagged, Ukrainian-owned vessel registered in Odesa, approximately 18 nautical miles (33 kilometers) east of the Bulgarian coastal town of Byala.
According to the crew, three aerial drones struck the vessel's deck and side.
All 15 crew members — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis - were safely evacuated to the port of Varna. Five required medical assistance, Radev said.
Bulgarian authorities also reported a separate drone attack on another vessel approximately 17 nautical miles (31 kilometers) east of Krapets. That ship sank, and one crew member was rescued.
Radev said Bulgaria had informed its representatives to NATO and the European Union and was seeking international assistance to investigate the attacks and identify the drones' country of origin.
Bulgaria is also requesting support to strengthen surveillance of its airspace and maritime areas and improve its response capabilities.
"We do not have clear and conclusive evidence to attribute responsibility to either side," Radev said.
However, he added that "the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation."
The Bulgarian prime minister said he would summon the Russian ambassador for a meeting on October 13.
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