Black Sea Drone Attacks Hit Two Ships Near NATO Coast—One Sinks as Bulgaria Points to Russia

Two commercial vessels were hit by drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast overnight, with one ship sinking and the entire crew of another evacuated after three drones struck its deck and hull, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on October 13.

The Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, a Ukrainian-owned cargo ship, was attacked roughly 18 nautical miles east of the Bulgarian coastal town of Byala.

The vessel was traveling from Giresun, Turkey, toward Giurgiulești in Moldova with cargo intended for the country when three aerial drones struck it during the night.

All 15 crew members—seven Ukrainian and eight Azerbaijani nationals—were evacuated and taken to Varna. Five were receiving medical assistance, according to Radev. The 136-meter vessel was later left without its crew near Cape St. Athanasius.

“The latest attack on a commercial vessel in the immediate vicinity of Bulgaria’s territorial waters is absolutely unacceptable”, Rumen Radev said.

He added that Bulgarian Permanent Representatives to NATO and the EU have been informed. Bulgaria continues to seek support for an investigation into the attacks to determine the country of origin of the drones.

“We do not have clear and conclusive evidence to attribute responsibility to either side. However, as I have already stated, the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation. I will therefore summon the Russian Ambassador for a meeting today,” he added.

The second vessel was identified as the cargo ship Azov Concord, struck 17 nautical miles east of Krapets. Bulgarian authorities said one crew member had been rescued after the ship sank, while a search-and-rescue operation continued.

Radev stressed that Bulgaria does not yet have conclusive evidence establishing who launched the drones. Nevertheless, he said he intends to raise the incident with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and summon the Russian ambassador for talks.

Previously, two commercial vessels were hit by drones in Bulgaria’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Black Sea, killing at least two people and triggering a major search and rescue operation.

The strikes occurred around 80 miles off the Bulgarian coast, east of Cape St. Atanas and the town of Byala, where Chelsea 3 was attacked today.

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