Drones hit two ships off Bulgaria; one sinks, 11 crew missing
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said drones struck two merchant ships in the Black Sea on Tuesday, sinking one vessel and prompting a search for 11 missing sailors. He summoned Russia's ambassador; Moscow's envoy said she had no information and floated a third-party provocation.
AI-assisted · US Brief desk · Sources listed below
What happened
On Tuesday, drones struck two merchant ships off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. One vessel — identified by AP as the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship Dignity — sank about 17 nautical miles east of the village of Krapets; local officials said one sailor was saved and 11 crew members were missing, the BBC reported. The second ship, the Maltese-flagged, Ukrainian-operated Chelsea 3, was hit about 18 nautical miles from Byala; all 15 crew were rescued, with five treated for minor injuries.
Why it matters
The attacks come a week after drones hit two other commercial ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, when the Alfa Watan sank and 10 crew were presumed dead. Bulgaria is a NATO member; European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the Black Sea "another front of escalation."
More context
Sofia's response: Radev convened an emergency meeting, called the attack "absolutely unacceptable," and summoned Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova. He also spoke with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Who is blamed: Ukraine's foreign minister accused Russia of deliberately endangering civilian shipping and food security. Radev said there was no conclusive evidence against "either side" but that "the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation," per the BBC. Mitrofanova said she had no information from Russia's defense ministry and suggested the strikes could be a third-party provocation. Russia's military had not publicly commented in the Tuesday coverage reviewed.
What's still unknown: Who launched Tuesday's drones, the final fate of the 11 missing sailors, and whether NATO or the EU will provide the technical investigation help Radev requested after the Oct. 6 attacks.
2 listed sources
References listed by US Brief; a source count is not a verification score.
Editorial sourcing notes
Casualty and location figures from BBC (Jaroslav Lukiv) and AP, Oct. 13. Attribution remains contested: Ukraine blamed Russia; Radev said logic points to Russia but lacked conclusive evidence; the Russian ambassador denied information and suggested a provocation. AP identified the sunk ship as Guinea-Bissau-flagged Dignity / HS Dignity in some reports; BBC focused on Chelsea 3 for the damaged vessel.
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