Drones Sink Cargo Ship Off Bulgaria; Eleven Crew Missing

Two commercial cargo ships were hit by drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast overnight into 13 October. One vessel sank, leaving 11 crew members missing. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev summoned the Russian ambassador and said the outcome of the attacks “benefits the Russian Federation,” though he stated there was no conclusive evidence of responsibility.

The Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity sank approximately 17 nautical miles east of the village of Krapets, near the Romanian border. Five crew members were rescued; 11 remain missing. Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova identified the ship. A search-and-rescue operation continued through the day. The second vessel, the Maltese-flagged, Ukrainian-owned Chelsea-3, was struck by three aerial drones about 18 nautical miles east of Byala. All 15 crew—seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis—were rescued and taken to Varna. Five received treatment for minor injuries.

The incidents form the second series of attacks on commercial shipping in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone within a week. On 6 October the cargo ship Alfa Watan sank after a drone strike, with all 10 crew members listed as missing, while another vessel was damaged and its crew recovered. Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said it would be “illogical for the Ukrainians to strike their own ships” and that, under the circumstances, Bulgarian authorities assume the drones are Russian.

Radev convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council, called the attacks “absolutely unacceptable,” and requested assistance from NATO and the European Union. He also spoke with counterparts in Romania and Turkey about regional security. The Chelsea-3 had called at the Romanian port of Tulcea on 3 October before heading toward the Bulgarian coast; tracking data showed it was bound for Moldova. The HS Dignity had departed Algeria on 5 October en route to Romania.

The strikes have drawn commercial shipping farther west into the exclusive economic zones of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania. Previous attacks had been concentrated closer to the Ukrainian and Russian coasts. Bulgarian border police released video of rescuers boarding the damaged Chelsea-3 in rough seas. No official statement from Moscow has confirmed or denied involvement.

The pattern raises the cost and risk of Black Sea grain and bulk-cargo routes that have continued to operate despite the wider war. Insurers and shipowners have already adjusted premiums for vessels transiting the western Black Sea. Bulgarian officials have not released forensic details on the drones recovered from the Chelsea-3, nor have they published radar or other sensor data that would allow independent attribution.

Radev’s decision to summon the Russian ambassador while stopping short of a formal accusation reflects the limited public evidence available. The repeated targeting of commercial vessels in the same stretch of water within a single week has nevertheless shifted the practical security picture for NATO’s southeastern flank. Whether the attacks continue, and whether further ships are lost, will determine how quickly additional protective measures are deployed in the area.