EU condemns Black Sea drone attacks after three commercial ships are struck off Bulgaria and Romania

Coordinated strikes in Bulgarian waters

On 6 October 2026, two commercial vessels operating in the Black Sea were struck by drones inside Bulgaria's Exclusive Economic Zone. One of the targeted merchant vessels sank shortly after sustaining critical structural damage from the explosion. Maritime tracking records confirmed that neither of the affected cargo ships sailed under the Bulgarian national flag. Official assessments indicated that the drone strikes were executed in a coordinated manner against civilian shipping routes in the western Black Sea. The event represents the first recorded drone strike against commercial vessels within Bulgaria's maritime economic zone. Bulgarian authorities launched a formal technical investigation to determine the exact flight paths, targeting mechanisms, and origin of the unmanned aircraft involved in the incident.

Fatal grain carrier attack off Romania

The strikes in Bulgarian waters took place one day after a fatal attack against commercial navigation off the Romanian coast. On 5 October 2026, a Turkish-flagged cargo ship transporting a shipment of Ukrainian grain was struck and sunk in maritime waters southeast of the Pescarus offshore drilling platform, also designated as Platform 7. Eyewitness accounts from surviving crew members revealed that the commercial vessel was hit by three separate drones, comprising two naval surface drones and one aerial unmanned system. The attack resulted in the deaths of two crew members, including the ship's commanding officer. Romanian emergency intervention units were deployed immediately to the scene to conduct search operations and rescue surviving crew members from the water.

Diplomatic condemnation from Brussels

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded to the escalating security situation on 6 October 2026 through a formal statement on the social media platform X. She emphasized the severe risks facing civilian maritime workers and international trade vessels operating along European Union maritime borders.

The situation in the Black Sea is increasingly worrying. Commercial vessels and innocent crews are being targeted, with lives already lost at sea.

Von der Leyen noted that although multinational investigations are still establishing the exact technical circumstances of each strike, hostile actions against commercial shipping corridors remain indefensible. She affirmed the European Commission's alignment with frontline European Union member states.

Attacks on civilian shipping are unacceptable. We stand in full solidarity with our member states on the eastern flank.

Regional reactions and attribution

Political leaders across the Black Sea basin delivered swift condemnations following the attacks on merchant shipping. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev termed the strike on the cargo vessel inside Bulgaria's economic zone as absolutely unacceptable and declared it a grave violation of international law. Bulgarian investigators stated that the official attribution of the attack has not yet been established while technical inquiries continue. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attributed the 5 October strike off Romania to Russian forces, characterizing the incident as an atrocious attack conducted against a civilian vessel traversing neutral waters. Romanian and Bulgarian maritime authorities continue to monitor commercial shipping routes along their territorial waters.