Drones sink one ship and damage another off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast
Prime Minister Rumen Radev said drones struck two ships off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast and that one of them sank. The 15 crew of the damaged Chelsea 3 were rescued, and Sofia is asking the EU and NATO for help with the investigation.
The Chelsea 3 attack
Two commercial ships were hit by drones off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast early on Tuesday, 13 October, and one of them sank, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said in a televised address and on Facebook. The Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3, sailing under the Maltese flag, was struck by three drones on its deck and hull at about 01:30 local time, roughly 18 nautical miles (33 km) off the coast. Its 15 crew, seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, were rescued by a Bulgarian Border Police patrol and taken to the port of Varna. Five of them received medical treatment for minor injuries, and no one was reported to be seriously injured.
- Ukrainian
- 7 people
- Azerbaijani
- 8 people
The second vessel and an earlier attack
A second ship was hit in a similar attack about 17 miles (roughly 27 km) east of Krapets, and it sank, according to Bulgarian government information. So far only one crew member of that vessel has been rescued, and no details were given about the others aboard. The ship's name does not appear in the reports, and the attack is the second such incident in a week.
Europa Press also reported an earlier attack, around 04:00 local time, on the Palau-flagged Able and the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan in a zone east of Cape St Athanasius and Byala. The Alfa Watan sank about 70 miles (130 km) offshore after structural damage, and its entire crew was reported missing. The Able caught fire, and its 18 crew abandoned ship and were rescued by a Bulgarian ferry that diverted to help.
- Three drones hit the Chelsea 3 about 18 nautical miles off the Bulgarian coast; crew rescued
- A second ship is hit about 17 miles east of Krapets and sinks; one crew member rescued so far
- Radev announces the attacks, says Bulgaria will summon the Russian ambassador and speak with NATO's Mark Rutte
Bulgaria's response
Radev said there was no clear evidence identifying who carried out the attacks, but that 'the outcome benefits the Russian Federation'. He said he would summon the Russian ambassador, Eleonora Mitrofanova according to Europa Press. The government also convened an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council of the Council of Ministers and notified its permanent representatives to NATO and the EU.
Radev also said, in his televised address, what he planned to do next with NATO.
I am due to speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Bulgaria has asked the EU and NATO for help. Letters to European Council President António Costa, Ursula von der Leyen and Mark Rutte ask that the matter be treated as a priority. Because no drone debris had been found, Bulgaria also asked the European Maritime Safety Agency to help establish where the drones came from, and asked allies to examine physical evidence, satellite data and all information gathered on the attack.
Von der Leyen posted on social media that the attacks were unacceptable and that the Black Sea had become another "front" in Russia's war against Ukraine. She said she stood with Bulgaria, thanked its rescuers for their rapid response and said those responsible must be held accountable.
Wider context
Bulgaria does not border Ukraine or Russia, but as a NATO member it holds a strategic position on the Black Sea, where both countries operate ports. There are growing concerns about hybrid attacks involving drones by Russia as it wages war in Ukraine. Radev said Bulgaria will take all diplomatic and legal measures available against those responsible once responsibility is established, in line with international law. The origin of the drones has not been established, and no drone debris had been located as of these reports.
