Drones hit two ships off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, one sinks, and Sofia seeks NATO and EU help
Prime Minister Rumen Radev said drones struck two merchant ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone overnight, sinking one. Sofia has asked NATO and the EU for help identifying who is responsible, as no drone fragments have been found.
Chelsea 3 hit overnight
Drones struck two merchant ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea overnight into Tuesday, 13 October, according to Prime Minister Rumen Radev. The Chelsea 3, a Ukrainian-owned vessel registered in Odesa and flying the Maltese flag, was hit by three aerial drones on its deck and hull about 18 nautical miles (about 29 kilometres) east of the town of Byala. A distress signal reached the Varna maritime rescue centre at 01:30 local time, and a Border Police patrol evacuated all 15 crew members, seven Ukrainian and eight Azerbaijani nationals. They were taken to Varna, where five of them received treatment for minor injuries.
- Drones hit the Able and the Alfa Watan about 70 miles off the coast, and the Alfa Watan sinks
- Distress signal from the Chelsea 3 reaches the Varna maritime rescue centre
- A second vessel sinks about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets with one crew member rescued so far
Second vessel sinks
A second ship was hit about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets. Information about that attack reached the government during an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council of the Council of Ministers. According to government reports, the vessel sank and only one crew member had been rescued so far. Radev did not provide details about the others aboard, and the identity of the ship and the circumstances of the attack had not been fully established. Radev gave no further information on the origin of the ships or on the cargo they carried.
Sofia seeks NATO and EU help
Radev called the attacks "absolutely unacceptable" and said Bulgaria lacked clear evidence to identify who was responsible. He said the logic suggested the outcome benefited the Russian Federation, but that authorities had no solid proof to formally accuse a specific party. Bulgaria summoned Russia's ambassador to Sofia, Eleonora Mitrofanova, for the same day, and Sofia urgently notified its permanent representatives to the EU and NATO. Radev also asked the European Maritime Safety Agency for help, because Bulgaria's efforts had not located any drone remains that could help determine their origin. He said Sofia would take all diplomatic and legal measures available against those responsible once responsibility is established, in line with international law.
An earlier attack on 6 October
Europa Press reports that on Tuesday, 6 October, drones hit the Able, flying the Palauan flag, and the Alfa Watan, flying the Togolese flag, about 70 miles from the coast. The Alfa Watan sank after suffering structural damage, and the crew it carried was reported missing. The Able caught fire, but its 18 crew members abandoned the ship and were rescued by a Bulgarian ferry that diverted to help. Radev's letters to European Council President Antonio Costa, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte asked for the matter to be treated as a priority. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia, saying Ukrainian forces did not operate in that part of the Black Sea. The Russian embassy in Sofia denied that merchant ships had been among the targets of Russian drones.
