Drones Sink Cargo Ship Off Bulgaria, Leaving 11 Sailors Missing

Drones struck two cargo ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria’s coast overnight into 13 October 2026. One vessel sank. Eleven sailors remain missing. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev summoned Russia’s ambassador and said the outcome of the attacks benefits the Russian Federation, though he stopped short of a formal accusation.

The sunken ship was identified by President Iliana Iotova as the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity. It went down approximately 17 nautical miles east of the village of Krapets, near the Romanian border. Five crew members were rescued. Search-and-rescue operations continued for the 11 still missing. The vessel had been sailing from Algeria toward a Romanian port. Reports indicated the crew included Syrian and Egyptian nationals.

The second ship, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, registered in Odesa and Ukrainian-owned, was hit by three aerial drones about 18 nautical miles east of Byala. All 15 crew members—seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis—were rescued by Bulgarian border police. Five received treatment for minor injuries. The ship was traveling from Turkey toward Romania or Moldova. Distress calls were received around 1:30 a.m. local time.

This is the second such incident in a week. Earlier attacks on 6 October also targeted ships in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. Radev convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council. He described the strikes as absolutely unacceptable and said Bulgaria is seeking assistance from NATO and the European Union. Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov spoke with counterparts from Romania and Turkey. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks, saying the Black Sea has become another front of escalation in the Russian war in Ukraine.

Bulgarian officials stated they lack conclusive evidence identifying the source of the drones. Radev noted that logic points to a benefit for Russia. Stoyanov said it would be illogical for Ukrainians to strike their own ships and that under the circumstances the drones are assumed to be Russian. Russia has not issued a public response to the summons. The attacks occurred closer to the Bulgarian coast than previous incidents, raising concerns about spillover into NATO territorial waters.

The incidents disrupt commercial shipping in a region already affected by the war. Insurers and shipping companies have increased risk assessments for Black Sea routes. No independent verification of the drone origin has been published. Rescue assets from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Varna responded to both distress calls. Further details on the missing sailors and any recovered wreckage are expected as the search continues.

The events highlight the westward expansion of attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea. Previous strikes had occurred farther east. Bulgarian authorities have not reported any direct hits on territorial waters. The investigation into both the 6 October and 13 October incidents remains open.