The attacks occurred in Bulgarian waters near the towns of Krapets and Byala. One ship, identified by Radev as the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, was registered in Ukraine’s Odesa port. The vessel sustained damage after being struck by three drones approximately 18 nautical miles from Byala. All 15 crew members were rescued, with five receiving treatment for minor injuries. The second vessel, whose name was not immediately disclosed, sank 17 nautical miles (31 km) east of Krapets. While one crew member was saved, the remaining eleven sailors are missing.
Radev stated that while there is no conclusive evidence assigning blame, “the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation.” In response, the prime minister summoned Eleonora Mitrofanova, the Russian ambassador to Bulgaria, and convened an emergency meeting with his security chiefs. He declared that an attack on merchant ships in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters was “absolutely unacceptable.” Radev indicated he would speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte regarding the incident.
This is not the first such incident in the region. The attacks come one week after two other commercial ships were targeted by sea and aerial drones within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. On October 6, the vessel Alfa Watan sank following a drone strike. All ten crew members, including nine Syrian nationals, are presumed dead. Radev had previously requested technical assistance from NATO and the European Union to investigate those attacks, noting at the time that it was unclear whether Russia or Ukraine was responsible. Ukraine has since directly blamed Russia for the latest strikes.
The incidents have drawn sharp condemnation from European leadership. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the Black Sea as becoming “another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine,” calling the situation “unacceptable.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Moscow of demonstrating a “deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea.”
Russia’s military has not publicly commented on the specific attacks off Bulgaria. However, Moscow has recently intensified strikes on vessels in the western Black Sea. The Kremlin maintains that its targets are ships delivering weapons and dual-use cargo to Ukrainian ports, citing recent attacks in the ports of Mykolaiv and Chornomorsk. Conversely, Kyiv and its European allies assert that the targets are merchant vessels carrying grain and other civilian cargo. The conflict in the Black Sea has become increasingly complex, with Ukraine also striking Russian infrastructure, such as an oil tanker in the Black Sea port of Sochi, on the same day last week that Bulgarian waters were targeted.
Bulgaria, a NATO member, finds itself at a sensitive geopolitical juncture. Prime Minister Radev, who assumed office in the summer, has consistently rejected characterizations as “pro-Russian,” emphasizing the need for impartial investigation and international security guarantees. The sinking of the vessel and the missing crew highlight the growing risks to commercial maritime traffic in the Black Sea, raising questions about the safety of the region’s shipping lanes and the potential for further escalation between NATO members and Russia.
Investigations into the drone attacks are ongoing, with technical support from international partners expected to help determine the origin of the drones and verify the claims made by all parties involved.
