Drone attack sinks ship off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, PM says

What the report says

Two merchant ships were struck in drone attacks off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, according to Al Jazeera’s report citing Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev. One of the vessels, the Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3, was damaged about 18 nautical miles off the Bulgarian coast in the early hours of Tuesday. The ship was sailing under a Maltese flag, and its 15 crew members were rescued, with five receiving medical attention but no serious injuries reported.

Radev said a second ship was hit as well and later sank. He said one crew member from that vessel was also rescued. In public remarks, he described the incident as unacceptable and said there was no clear evidence yet identifying who was behind it, though he argued the outcome would benefit Russia. He also said Bulgaria planned to summon the Russian ambassador and that he would speak with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks and said the Black Sea had become another area of escalation linked to the war in Ukraine. Bulgaria, a NATO member with a strategic position on the Black Sea, has faced growing concern over maritime security in the region. The report also noted a recent similar incident last week in which two other ships were hit off Bulgaria, with one sinking and its 10 crew members still missing.