SOFIA, Bulgaria - Air and sea drones struck two merchant vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea early Oct. 6, sinking one ship and forcing the evacuation of 18 people from the other, Bulgarian authorities said.
The attacks occurred at about 3 a.m., roughly 70 nautical miles east of the coastal town of Byala, according to a Bulgarian government statement.
The Togo-flagged general cargo vessel Alfa Watan suffered critical damage and sank. Search crews found an overturned boat, three life rafts and life jackets, but no survivors had been located at the time of the government’s update. The number of people aboard the ship was not immediately clear.
Eighteen Evacuated From Second Vessel
The Palau-flagged Able caught fire after it was hit. A Bulgarian vessel evacuated all 18 crew members. Two injured sailors were transported toward Varna for medical care, while the other crew members - including Turkish and Indian citizens - were taken ashore by a border patrol boat.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev called the attack a gross violation of international and maritime law. He said the origin of the drones had not been established and that it was unclear whether they came from Russia or Ukraine.
A maritime-security source told Reuters that an initial assessment suggested the attack was probably Russian. That assessment has not been independently confirmed, and neither Russia nor Ukraine claimed responsibility.
Threat to Black Sea Shipping
Shipping sources said the incident appeared to be the first drone attack of its kind in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. It followed a separate incident off Romania in which two people died aboard a ship.
Bulgarian authorities deployed naval and air assets to search for the missing crew and assess any environmental threat. Officials warned that the widening danger to commercial shipping could increase operating and insurance costs in the western Black Sea.
The original Russian-language report was published by Vesti Baku.