Drones Sink Cargo Ship Off Bulgaria, Leaving 11 Sailors Missing

Eleven sailors remained missing on Tuesday after drones struck two cargo ships overnight in the Black Sea near Bulgaria’s coast. One vessel sank. Bulgarian authorities launched a search and summoned the Russian ambassador.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the attacks occurred roughly 17 to 18 nautical miles off the coast. The Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship HS Dignity went down near Krapets. One crew member from that vessel was rescued. Reports put the number of missing at 11, with five survivors in some accounts.

The second ship, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, which is Ukrainian-owned, was hit by three drones near Byala. All 15 crew members were rescued and taken to Varna. The crew included seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis. Five sustained minor injuries.

Radev called the strikes “absolutely unacceptable” and said they occurred in close proximity to Bulgarian territorial waters. He stated that while solid evidence to assign blame was not yet available, the outcome benefited the Russian Federation. Bulgaria planned to summon Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova. Radev also scheduled a call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and sought EU assistance.

The attacks marked the second such incident in the area in six days. A week earlier, drones hit other commercial vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. A Togo-flagged ship sank in that earlier strike, with nine Syrian sailors and one Egyptian lost.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the latest strikes. He said they showed deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea. The Chelsea 3 had been sailing from the Turkish port of Giresun toward Giurgiulești in Romania.

Bulgarian border police and rescue teams operated through the night. Rescued crew from the damaged ship were transported by ambulance in Varna. The sunken vessel’s exact cargo and destination were not immediately detailed in official statements.

The Black Sea has seen repeated attacks on commercial shipping since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war. Grain exports and other cargo routes face elevated risk. Bulgaria is a NATO member, and strikes near its waters raise questions about escalation and response thresholds.

Radev convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council. Officials stopped short of directly accusing Russia but noted the pattern and the strategic benefit to Moscow. No independent verification of the drones’ origin had been released by midday.

Search operations continued for the missing sailors from the HS Dignity. Weather and sea conditions were not cited as factors preventing the effort. The Maltese-flagged ship’s crew reported hits to the deck and hull.

The incidents add to a series of maritime attacks in the region. Earlier strikes had already prompted concerns among shipping operators about insurance and route safety. Bulgaria’s decision to summon the Russian ambassador signals a diplomatic response while evidence is gathered.

NATO and EU channels were activated for support. No immediate military response was announced. The proximity of the strikes to the Bulgarian coast, closer than the previous week’s incidents, increases the political weight of the events for Sofia.

Further details on the missing crew and any recovered debris were expected as the search progressed. The Bulgarian government has not released radar or other sensor data that might clarify the drones’ launch points.

The episode underscores the persistent risk to civilian shipping in the Black Sea more than four years into the wider conflict. Commercial operators continue to adjust routes and insurance coverage in response to repeated attacks.