Two ships were struck by drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, leaving one vessel sunk, in what Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev described on Tuesday as the second such incident within a week.
The Ukrainian-owned vessel Chelsea 3, sailing under the Maltese flag, was hit by three drones and damaged about 18 nautical miles off the Bulgarian coast at approximately 1:30 a.m. local time, Radev said.
All 15 crew members aboard the ship — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — were rescued. Five received medical assistance, but none sustained serious injuries.
One crew member from the vessel that sank was also rescued, according to the Bulgarian prime minister.
“This is absolutely unacceptable — another attack near Bulgarian territorial waters,” Radev said in a televised address.
He added that he would speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the incident.
Radev said there was no clear evidence identifying those responsible for the attacks. However, he argued that “the result is in the interest of the Russian Federation” and announced plans to summon the Russian ambassador over the incident.
Bulgaria does not share a land border with either Ukraine or Russia, but its position on the Black Sea gives it strategic importance for NATO. Both countries involved in the war have major ports along the sea.
The latest incident comes amid growing concerns about drone attacks and potential hybrid threats linked to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. The circumstances surrounding the attacks, including who carried them out, remain unclear.
