Two Cargo Ships Attacked by Drones off Bulgaria’s Coast

Two dry cargo ships attacked off the coast of Bulgaria: the country’s authorities’ response

Shipping in the Black Sea remains extremely risky. Last night, two vessels off the coast of Bulgaria came under attack from drones. One of them sank 17 miles from the village of Krapets; only one crew member was rescued. The second vessel was damaged 18 miles from the coastal town of Byala; it caught fire but remained afloat. The entire crew was evacuated, and three injured crew members received treatment at a hospital in Varna. The vessel – the dry cargo ship Chelsea, owned by a Ukrainian company, registered in Odessa and flying the Maltese flag – was en route from the Turkish port of Giresun to the Moldovan port of Giurgiulești.

Add Logos Press as a preferred source on Google

In connection with the incident, Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council under the Council of Ministers. “Yet another attack on merchant vessels in the immediate vicinity of Bulgaria’s territorial waters is absolutely unacceptable. Our permanent representatives to NATO and the European Union have already been notified of what has happened. I have a meeting scheduled with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte,” said Prime Minister Rumen Radev. He noted in this regard that Bulgaria continues to seek support for the investigation into the attacks on the three vessels, aiming to establish precisely the country of origin of the drones attacking ships in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters. According to the Prime Minister, the country will also continue to seek support to strengthen its air and maritime surveillance systems and enhance its response capabilities.

“We do not have firm, unequivocal evidence to bring charges against any of the parties involved; however, logic – as I have already said – suggests that such an outcome is in the interests of the Russian Federation. Therefore, today I shall summon Ambassador Mitrofanova for a meeting,” the Bulgarian publication maritime quotes Rumen Radev as saying.

This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.

How did this story make you feel?