One ship sinks after two vessels attacked off Bulgaria
Two merchant vessels were struck in the Black Sea within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. Fifteen people were rescued from one ship, while another went down.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said two commercial ships had come under attack in international waters close to the country’s coast.
Radio Svoboda (svoboda.org) reported the incidents on Tuesday, October 13. The Malta-flagged Chelsea 3 sent a distress call from a position 33 kilometers east of Byala after its crew said three drones hit the deck and hull.
Rescuers brought all 15 crew members — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — to Varna, with five requiring hospital treatment. During an emergency Security Council meeting, officials learned that a second vessel had been hit 31 kilometers east of Krapets; it sank, and one sailor was rescued.
Bulgaria has notified its representatives at NATO and the European Union and is seeking assistance to establish where the drones originated. Radev said there was no conclusive evidence identifying the attacker but announced plans to summon the Russian ambassador. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha blamed Russia, which had not commented on the allegation.
