Bulgaria seeks answers after drone attacks on Black Sea vessels

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that two ships had been attacked by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) off the country's Black Sea coast, with one of the vessels sinking.

Radev spoke at an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council under the Council of Ministers, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

He said a distress call was received at 1:30 a.m. from a ship located 18 nautical miles east of the town of Byala, prompting the Varna Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to respond immediately.

According to Radev, the Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3, registered in Odesa and sailing under the Maltese flag, was attacked by three UAVs.

All 15 crew members — seven Ukrainian citizens and eight Azerbaijani citizens — were rescued and brought to the Port of Varna, Radev said. Five crew members received medical assistance.

Radev added that another ship was attacked by UAVs 17 nautical miles east of the village of Krapets, in Dobrich Province, and sank as a result.

Bulgaria's permanent representatives to NATO and the European Union (EU) were informed about the incident. Radev stressed that Bulgaria was continuing to seek assistance in investigating the attacks and determining the country of origin of the UAVs.

Radev said there was insufficient conclusive evidence to attribute responsibility for the attacks to any party. However, he added: “As I have said before, the situation appears to be in Russia's interest. Therefore, today I will summon Russia's ambassador to Sofia, Eleonora Mitrofanova.”

Dobrich Regional Governor Ruslan Tomov also told the media that five sailors from the vessel that sank east of Krapets had been rescued, while 11 remained missing.

Tomov said the necessary coordination was underway and that the rescued sailors would be taken to Varna.

Bulgarian prime minister meets Russian ambassador

Bulgaria's Government Information Service issued a statement concerning the UAV attacks on two commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

According to the statement, Radev met with Russian Ambassador to Sofia Eleonora Mitrofanova following the attacks.

During the meeting, Radev said there was no conclusive evidence regarding the origin of the UAVs used in the attacks. He argued that it would make no sense for Ukraine to target its own vessels and said the consequences of the attacks served Russia's interests.

Mitrofanova said she understood the assessment but had received no information from Russia's Ministry of Defence about the latest attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea. She also did not rule out the possibility that the attacks could have been a provocation by a third country.

NATO and EU respond

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte commented on the attacks in a post on the social media platform X.

Rutte said he had discussed the latest incidents with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, adding: “NATO will continue to work closely with its Allies in the Black Sea region.”

He recalled that NATO was strengthening its military presence on the alliance's eastern flank and said it would continue monitoring the security environment and adjust its deterrence and defence posture as necessary.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Black Sea had become another front in the escalation of Russia's war against Ukraine, calling the situation unacceptable.

She strongly condemned the UAV attacks on commercial vessels near the Bulgarian coast, saying they seriously endangered crew members' lives and threatened security in the Black Sea.

Von der Leyen expressed solidarity with Bulgaria and stressed that those responsible must be held accountable.

European Council President Antonio Costa also condemned the attacks in a post on X, saying that attacks on civilian maritime transport and commercial vessels in the Black Sea were increasing and were completely unacceptable.

Costa reaffirmed the EU's solidarity with Bulgaria and said the situation in the Black Sea and Russia's hybrid attacks would be discussed at the EU leaders' summit scheduled for October 15.

Bulgaria to discuss Black Sea shipping security with Romania and Türkiye

Radev said that although Bulgaria was not a party to the war, the country was suffering significant economic and financial losses.

He explained that the attacks were increasing maritime transport risks and insurance costs, prompting some companies to refuse to transport cargo to Bulgarian ports.

According to Radev, the situation was also making oil deliveries to the refinery in Burgas more expensive and risky.

He said Bulgaria would begin talks with Romania and Türkiye to develop joint proposals aimed at ensuring the safety of shipping in the Black Sea.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev had previously announced that two ships had been attacked by UAVs overnight off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, with one of the vessels sinking.

Photo: Chat GPT