Bulgaria reports drone attack on ships in Black Sea
SOFIA, Bulgaria — Two commercial vessels were struck by drones Tuesday in the first attack on shipping in NATO member Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, reports BritPanorama.
Bulgarian authorities stated that the origin of the drones is currently under investigation, while Ukraine’s president accused Russia of being responsible for the strikes. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the drone attack.
“This is an unacceptable attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. It is a blatant violation of international law and maritime law,” Radev remarked following an emergency government meeting.
According to Radev, sea and aerial drones targeted the ships around 3 a.m. local time, approximately 80 miles off Bulgaria’s coast.
The Togo-flagged Alfa Watan sustained significant structural damage and sank, with the fate of the crew currently unreported. The second vessel, the Palau-flagged Able, caught fire post-attack. A Bulgarian ferry evacuated all 18 crew members, with two sailors suffering severe injuries and subsequently flown to a hospital in the port city of Varna.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserted that Ukraine’s military had not conducted any operations in the vicinity of the vessels. He directed blame at Moscow’s forces.
“This latest tragedy involving civilian vessels is another part of Russia’s effort to make the western Black Sea completely unfit for navigation,” Zelenskyy stated. He added that all operation details were verified with the Bulgarian side and confirmed a combined Russian attack using maritime and aerial drones.
There has been no immediate response from Russian officials regarding these allegations. NATO has refrained from commenting, redirecting inquiries about the drone attack to Bulgarian authorities.
In light of the situation, President Iliana Yotova has summoned an emergency meeting of Bulgaria’s Security Council for Wednesday afternoon to discuss “current risks and threats to Bulgaria’s maritime security and critical infrastructure in the context of the war in Ukraine.”
