Drones sink ship off Bulgaria, leaving eleven sailors missing as Radev summons Russian ambassador

Drones struck two cargo ships overnight in the Black Sea off Bulgaria, sinking one and leaving eleven sailors missing, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Tuesday. The Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity sank approximately 17 nautical miles east of the village of Krapets. Five crew members were rescued. Search and rescue operations continued for the remaining eleven. A second vessel, the Malta-flagged Chelsea 3, was hit by three drones about 18 nautical miles east of Byala. All fifteen crew members, seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, were rescued by Bulgarian border police and brought to Varna. Five received treatment for minor injuries.

Radev summoned Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova and convened an emergency meeting of the Security Council. He said Bulgaria lacks solid evidence to assign responsibility but that logic suggests the outcome benefits the Russian Federation. President Iliana Iotova identified the sunken ship and confirmed the ongoing search. The incidents occurred closer to the Bulgarian coast than a previous pair of attacks one week earlier that sank the Alfa Watan and damaged another vessel. Radev described the latest strikes as absolutely unacceptable and said Bulgaria is seeking NATO and European Union assistance. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance will adjust its military presence on the eastern flank as needed.

The Chelsea 3 is Ukrainian-owned and registered in Odesa. It was traveling from the Turkish port of Giresun to Giurgiulesti in Moldova when the drones struck its deck and side. The HS Dignity was sailing from Algeria toward Romania. Bulgarian Interior Ministry footage showed rescue operations. The Black Sea shipping lanes have grown more dangerous as the Russia-Ukraine war continues. Previous attacks in Bulgarian and Romanian exclusive economic zones have drawn commercial vessels into the conflict. Radev scheduled discussions with Rutte and said Bulgaria continues to seek support for an investigation into the origin of the drones.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks. The pattern of strikes moving westward into NATO member waters has increased pressure on coastal states. Bulgaria has conducted repeated search-and-rescue operations in recent days. The survival of all crew from the Chelsea 3 contrasted with the incomplete accounting of the HS Dignity's crew. Officials have not confirmed the nationalities of the missing sailors. The absence of clear attribution has left the Bulgarian government balancing its statements between the lack of definitive evidence and the assessment that Russia stands to gain from disrupted shipping.

Commercial operators have faced rising insurance costs and routing decisions as attacks accumulate. The latest incidents follow the sinking of another vessel on October 6. Radev's decision to summon the Russian ambassador marks a direct diplomatic step even while withholding formal accusation. The emergency Security Council meeting and the request for NATO support indicate that Bulgaria views the strikes as a national security matter. Recovery of the missing crew remains the immediate operational priority. Further identification of the drone types and launch points will determine whether the investigation yields clearer responsibility.