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Ship sinks in new drone attack off Bulgaria, PM summons Russian ambassador
Confirmed
In Short: Radev stated that he would summon the Russian ambassador to discuss the incident, as reported by the Kyiv Post (Ukraine) and RBC-Ukraine (Ukraine).
Prime Minister Rumen Radev of Bulgaria condemned drone attacks that sank one ship and damaged another off the country's Black Sea coast, according to reports from Al Jazeera (Qatar) and the BBC (United Kingdom).
Al Jazeera (Qatar) reported that two ships were hit by drones, with one sinking, while the BBC (United Kingdom) confirmed that the Alfa Watan sank, with all 10 crew members presumed dead. The Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3, sailing under a Maltese flag, was damaged in the attack.
The attacks occurred around 1:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, approximately 17 nautical miles off the Bulgarian coast near the town of Krapets, according to Al Jazeera (Qatar) and the BBC (United Kingdom).
The Chelsea 3 was hit by three drones and sustained damage about 18 nautical miles off the coast, as reported by Al Jazeera (Qatar) and the BBC (United Kingdom).
The Bulgarian government has not attributed the attacks to any specific party, but Prime Minister Radev suggested that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation, as reported by the BBC (United Kingdom) and Georgia Today (Georgia).
The attacks have raised concerns about security in the Black Sea region, with Radev informing NATO and EU representatives about the incident, as reported by Georgia Today (Georgia) and the BBC (United Kingdom).
The Bulgarian government is seeking support for an investigation into the origin of the drones and assistance to strengthen air and maritime surveillance and response capabilities, according to Georgia Today (Georgia) and the BBC (United Kingdom).
The crew of the Chelsea 3, consisting of seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, was rescued, as reported by Philenews.
What this adds
The attacks on the ships off Bulgaria's coast add to the ongoing security concerns in the Black Sea region, following recent reports of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities.
Background
A drone attack caused a fire at Yandex's data center in Sasovo, Russia, leading to service disruptions.
On the night of October 7, as Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated his 74th birthday, Russian forces launched a mass missile and drone attack on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, according to reports from Kyivindependent (Ukraine) and HuffPost UK (United Kingdom).
What's confirmed
- Two ships have been hit in drone attacks off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, with one of them sinking, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.
- “I am due to speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.” Radev said there was no clear evidence who carried out the attack but “the outcome benefits the Russian Federation”, adding that he would summon the Russian ambassador about the incident.
- “We lack solid, clear evidence to level accusations against any specific party,” he said.
What's still developing
- Ship sinks and crew missing after Black Sea drone attack UK growth forecast upgraded but energy prices and rates to hit in 2027 Why the prime minister wants to talk about Brexit again Russia's offensive ability is broken, Kyiv's former top general tells BBC Publicly owned rail is popular.
- On October 6, a merchant ship ended up sunk and another was damaged in a drone attack 130 meters from the coast, which Sofia has not attributed and has requested help to investigate.
- Bulgaria does not border either Ukraine or Russia, but as a NATO member it holds a strategic position on the Black Sea, where both countries have major ports.
- Bulgaria is preparing a diplomatic response following overnight attacks on vessels in the Black Sea.
- Radev came to office during the summer and has since rejected suggestions that he is "pro-Russian".
- At the time, Radev described the attack as "extremely alarming" but said there were currently no grounds for invoking Articles 4 and 5 of the NATO treaty.
- “In addition, we will continue to request and insist on assistance in strengthening the surveillance of air and sea space and in strengthening our response capabilities,” he said.
- “According to our information, five of the crew members are receiving medical assistance for minor injuries,” Radev said.
Sources
- Al Jazeeralink
- BBClink
- Diari ARAlink
- Georgia Todaylink
- Kyiv Postlink
- Philenewslink
- RBC-Ukrainelink
- The Sofia Globelink
- WarpBeat — background on Yandex Data Center in Russia Hit by Drone Attack link
- WarpBeat — background on Russian Forces Launch Mass Missile and Drone Attack on Ukraine on Putin's Birthday link
- The Daily World — video link