Eleven sailors missing after drone sinks ship off Bulgaria
Bulgaria asked NATO and the European Union for help tracing the drone attacks after one cargo ship sank and 11 sailors remained missing, officials said.
- On Tuesday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev reported drones struck two commercial vessels in the Black Sea, sinking one and hitting the Ukrainian-owned, Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3 about 18 nautical miles off Byala; all 15 crew members were rescued.
- These incidents follow a similar drone attack on October 6 involving two other merchant ships within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, intensifying maritime security threats near NATO coastal waters.
- Prime Minister Radev summoned Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova, stating Bulgaria lacks 'solid and unambiguous evidence' to blame a specific party while arguing 'the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation.'
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the strikes, calling the Black Sea 'another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine' and warning that attacks threaten global food security.
- Bulgaria is seeking technical assistance from NATO and the European Union to strengthen maritime and air surveillance, aiming to establish drone origins and improve response capabilities amid escalating maritime threats.
593 Articles
593 Articles
The merchant ship Yara J caught fire after an explosion in Romanian waters near the Ukrainian border, but all 17 crew members remained unharmed. Radar did not detect any drones heading towards the ship, and the cause of the fire will now be investigated at the port of Constanta.
11 Sailors Missing As Drones Sink Cargo Ship Off Bulgaria; NATO Responds
Eleven sailors were missing Tuesday after a reported drone attack sank a cargo ship off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, while a second vessel was struck and its 15 crew members rescued, prompting condemnation from European leaders and a response from the NATO military alliance.
The Ministry of Defence announced Wednesday evening that another aerial target had been detected by the radar surveillance system, and it entered the national airspace at 17.38 p.m., approximately 22 km northeast of Sulina.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 37% of the sources lean Left, 37% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
