EMIL ship damaged by drone near Odesa is drifting near Bulgaria
5.10.2026 - 15:23
The cargo ship EMIL, which was hit by a drone near Odesa in August, is drifting in the Black Sea without a crew and without the ability to maneuver in the direction of Bulgarian waters.
This is reported by Pro News Dobrich with reference to the Bulgarian military.
As of October 4, the ship was located approximately 40 nautical miles east of Cape Shabla. To determine its exact location and condition, Bulgaria has deployed two Cougar helicopters of the Air Force and specialists of the Navy.
According to the publication, on August 5, the EMIL was hit by a drone near Odesa. After a fire and failure of technical systems, the ship lost the ability to maneuver, and the crew abandoned it.
Since then, the EMIL has been drifting in the exclusive economic zone of Romania, and under the influence of sea currents began to move southward towards the exclusive economic zone of Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian Navy has already issued a shipping warning about the unmanned vessel. Bulgarian services continue to monitor its movements and state their readiness to intervene if the situation changes.
