Two commercial vessels were struck Tuesday by drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, with one ship sinking and two crew members injured.
Bulgaria’s authorities launched a large-scale search-and-rescue operation after the strikes, while prime minister Rumen Radev called an emergency government meeting with senior defence and other officials.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Radev said the ships were attacked by sea and aerial drones.
“This is an unacceptable attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. It is a blatant violation of international law and maritime law,” Radev said after the meeting.
One of the ships, sank at the scene. Authorities had no immediate information about the fate of the crew of the Togo-flagged ship.
A Bulgarian-flagged ro-ro passenger ship, which was in the vicinity, witnessed the explosion and proceeded to the scene. An overturned boat, three life rafts, and life jackets have been discovered, but there is currently no information regarding any survivors.
The second vessel sustained damage and caught fire after the attack. The crew was rescued, with two injured. The two sailors suffered injuries and were transported to a hospital in Varna.
The remaining crew members were transported to shore; among them are Turkish and Indian nationals.
Monitoring for potential marine pollution is also being conducted.
Radev said Bulgaria was obliged to launch search and rescue operations because the attacks occurred inside the country’s exclusive economic zone, regardless of who was responsible.
“For us, as a state bearing responsibility within its exclusive economic zone, the health and lives of people are paramount, regardless of who is navigating these waters. We are obliged to conduct search and rescue operations,” he emphasized.
The prime minister stressed that the latest incident creates additional risks for shipping in the Black Sea and leads to increased costs and insurance risks for maritime transport.
“If this war is not brought to an end in time, it will continue to expand its geographical scope and increase the risk of a global conflict,” he pointed out.
Bulgarian authorities are also monitoring another damaged vessel drifting in the Black Sea.
For now, Bulgarian authorities have not attributed the attack to any actor. The origin of the drones and the circumstances surrounding the strikes remain under investigation.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X that Russia was creating a “dangerous chain of consequences” through attacks on civilian shipping. By making navigation a challenge, it drives up risks, insurance and transport costs, and threatens the flow of food to global markets, he said.
Sybiha wrote on X, “Two merchant vessels were struck by drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. One sank. Another caught fire, forcing 18 crew members to abandon ship. This comes just a day after Russia attacked a Turkish-owned civilian vessel carrying food through the Black Sea, killing its captain.”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said they verified all the details with the Bulgarian side.
“Our Navy contacted its counterparts in Bulgaria, and it has been established that this was a combined Russian attack using maritime and aerial drones,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. “I instructed our Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, our intelligence, and other services to coordinate with our partners as fully as possible – so that both they and we have greater capacity to defend ourselves.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in a statement on Tuesday on social media referencing both the Monday and Tuesday incidents, said attacks on civilian ships were unacceptable.
“Commercial ships – and innocent crews – are being targeted, with lives already lost at sea. Today, two commercial vessels were hit in Bulgaria’s economic zone in Black Sea. This comes just one day after a Turkish ship carrying Ukrainian grain was struck and sunk off the Romanian coast. While exact circumstances of these incidents are still being established, the developments are very concerning,” she wrote.
