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'Absolutely unacceptable'

6:29 AM ETConfirmed

World Desk

In Short: The Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3 was hit while sailing under a Maltese flag.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev of Bulgaria said two ships were hit by drones off the country's Black Sea coast, with one sinking and the other requiring emergency rescue operations.

The Maltese-flagged ship Chelsea 3 was struck by three drones around 1:30 a.m., prompting a distress call. Rescuers evacuated all 15 crew members, with five receiving minor injuries.

The incident occurred about 70 nautical miles (130 kilometers) off the Bulgarian coast, near the town of Byala. The rescued crew comprised 11 Turkish and seven Indian nationals.

Radev condemned the attacks as 'absolutely unacceptable' and called for accountability. He plans to summon the Russian ambassador to discuss the matter.

The Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3 was hit while sailing under a Maltese flag. Radev noted that logic suggests the attacks benefit the Russian Federation, though no clear evidence links Russia to the attacks.

The incident follows a similar attack on Oct. 6, where two merchant ships were hit by drones off Bulgaria's coast, with one sinking and its crew missing.

Ukraine's foreign ministry strongly condemned the attacks, stating they demonstrate Moscow's disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea.

The conflict has expanded to the eastern Black Sea, with at least 45 merchant vessels attacked over the past year in previously low-risk areas.

Bulgaria's caretaker prime minister confirmed the attack around 3 a.m. and announced plans to seek assistance from NATO and the European Union.

The intensifying violence comes amid a broader Russian campaign against Ukrainian port infrastructure and commercial shipping.

The search for the missing crew of the sunken ship continues, with Bulgarian authorities launching a major search operation.

The incident highlights the growing threat to commercial shipping in the Black Sea due to expanding drone attacks related to the Russia-Ukraine war.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• “Russia’s latest attack on commercial vessels near Bulgaria’s territorial waters, which injured Ukrainian and Azerbaijani citizens, once again demonstrates Moscow’s deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea,” Sybiha wrote.
• Two ships were struck off the Bulgarian coast on Oct. 13, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said, adding that he would summon the Russian ambassador over the latest such incident in the Black Sea.
• The conflict has also spread across the eastern Black Sea, with at least 45 merchant vessels attacked over the past 12 months in areas of the Black Sea previously not listed as high risk, the maritime risk management group Ambrey said last month.
• “We lack solid, clear evidence to level accusations against any specific party; however... logic suggests the outcome works to the advantage of the Russian Federation,” he wrote.
• SOFIA: Bulgarian authorities launched a major search on Tuesday for the missing crew of a ship that sank in the Black Sea after drones hit two vessels in what the prime minister slammed as an “absolutely unacceptable” attack.
• Turkiye’s Chamber of Maritime Commerce (IMEAK) said in August that since the start of the war, 226 civilian and commercial vessels have been attacked in the Black Sea, the vast majority this year.
• “This is an unacceptable attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. It is a blatant violation of international law and maritime law,” Radev said.
• The search was launched about 70 nautical miles east of the coastal town of Byala after the Togolese-flagged vessel sank, authorities said.

What's still developing

• Radev wrote on social media that a Ukrainian-owned cargo ship was “hit by three aerial drones”, and that shortly afterward another ship was hit and sank.
• Ukraine established its own Black Sea maritime corridor in August 2023, after Russia withdrew from a U.N.- and Turkey-brokered grain deal.
• The 136-meter vessel was later left without its crew near Cape St. Athanasius.
• The dual strike came a day after another ship caught fire and sank off the Romanian coast -- killing one and leaving one missing -- in what Ukraine said was a drone attack launched by Russia.
• "While exact circumstances of these incidents are still being established, the developments are very concerning," von der Leyen wrote online.

Sources

• ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videoslink
• Hürriyet Daily Newslink
• Kuwait Timeslink
• Kyivindependentlink
• The New Voice of Ukrainelink
• UNITED24 Medialink
• Arabnewslink
• Al Jazeeralink
• Hurriyetdailynewslink
• AFPlink
• Eaworldviewlink
• Splash247link
• Enlink
• WarpBeat — background on Russia Strikes Civilian Vessels in Black Sea Off Bulgaria's Coast link
• WarpBeat — background on Sailors missing after fresh attacks on Black Sea vessels, Bulgaria says link