Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has summoned the Russian ambassador following drone strikes that hit two merchant ships off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, leaving one vessel sunk, several crew members missing, and multiple injuries reported.
According to local officials, one of the vessels sank 17 nautical miles (31km) east of the village of Krapets. Eleven crew members remain missing, while one sailor was rescued. The second vessel, the Ukrainian-owned and Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, was struck by three drones approximately 18 nautical miles (33km) off the town of Byala at about 1:30am on Tuesday. All 15 crew members—comprising seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis—were rescued, with five suffering minor injuries.
Prime Minister Radev convened an emergency meeting with security chiefs on Tuesday, describing the incident as an attack in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters that is “absolutely unacceptable.”
Diplomatic Response and Calls to NATO
Radev announced he had summoned Russian envoy Eleonora Mitrofanova. While stating there was no conclusive evidence of direct blame on either side, Radev noted that “the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation.”
Bulgarian media quoted Ambassador Mitrofanova as telling Radev that she had no information from Russia’s defence ministry regarding the latest attacks, suggesting the strikes could be a provocation by a third party. Russia’s military has not publicly commented on the incident.
As Bulgaria is a NATO member, Radev held discussions with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte concerning the security situation. Rutte stated that NATO will continue to work closely with Black Sea allies, noting that the alliance has strengthened its posture along the eastern flank and will monitor the environment, adjusting its deterrence and defence posture as needed.
Radev had previously requested technical assistance from NATO and the EU to investigate previous maritime attacks that occurred on October 6.
Broader Escalation in the Black Sea
Tuesday’s events follow a similar incident a week prior, when two commercial ships were struck by sea and aerial drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. One of those vessels, the Alfa Watan, sank, and all 10 crew members—including nine Syrians—remain unaccounted for and are presumed dead.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha directly blamed Moscow, stating that the attack demonstrates “Moscow’s deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the strikes, declaring that the Black Sea has become “another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine.”
Moscow has intensified strikes on vessels in the western side of the Black Sea as part of its ongoing conflict with Ukraine, which began with the full-scale invasion in 2022. While Russia maintains it is targeting ships delivering weapons and dual-use cargo to Ukrainian ports, Kyiv and its European allies assert that civilian vessels carrying grain and other commercial goods are being targeted.
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