Bulgarian PM says drone attack on 2 commercial vessels is ‘blatant violation of international law’
- On Tuesday, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev reported that sea and aerial drones attacked two commercial vessels about 80 miles off Bulgaria's coast, marking the first attack on shipping in the country's exclusive economic zone.
- The strikes followed a separate attack against a Turkish-owned cargo ship in the Black Sea one day earlier, resulting in two deaths and the rescue of 11 crew members, according to Romanian authorities.
- During the incident, the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan sank after critical structural damage, while a Bulgarian ferry evacuated all 18 crew members from the Palau-flagged Able, which caught fire; two sailors suffered severe injuries and were airlifted to Varna.
- Radev called the event "an unacceptable attack in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone," adding that the incident is "seriously disrupting shipping in the Black Sea, driving up insurance costs even further and making shipping extremely difficult."
- Last month, Gen Alex Grynkewich urged NATO members to publicly identify those responsible for drone sabotage once sufficient evidence is gathered, though the origin of the drones in Tuesday's attacks remains unestablished.
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66 Articles
Last night, another cargo ship was hit by a drone attack in the Black Sea. This time near the coast of NATO member Bulgaria. The country's president warns that the war in Ukraine risks escalating out of control.
The Bulgarian government confirmed that drones hit two cargo ships in the Black Sea overnight on Tuesday, sinking one of them. The ships were flying the flags of Togo and Palau and were about 70 nautical miles off the Bulgarian coast.
Two commercial ships were hit by drones during the night of Monday to Tuesday in the Black Sea. One of them sank and his crew was reported missing. The incident took place in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. - Ships hit by drones: what happens in the Black Sea? (International).
On the night of 6 October, drones attacked two merchant ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.
Neue Zürcher Zeitung
Augsburger AllgemeineBulgaria and the EU are alarmed: after nocturnal drone attacks on merchant ships, fear of an expansion of war is growing. What does this mean for seafarers?
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