Drones attack merchant ships again near Bulgaria – Sofia appeals to NATO
13.10.2026 - 10:04
A Ukrainian-owned vessel was damaged in the attack, and Bulgaria will summon the Russian ambassador to explain the terror in the Black Sea.
On the night of October 13, drones attacked two vessels off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. One of them sank, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said, Reuters reports.
The Chelsea 3, a Ukrainian-owned vessel flying the Maltese flag, was hit by three drones at around 01:30 local time about 18 nautical miles (33 km) off the Bulgarian coast. The drones hit the deck and side.
All 15 crew members — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — were evacuated. Five received medical attention, but none were seriously injured. One crew member was rescued from the second, sunken vessel.
“This is absolutely unacceptable — another attack in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters,” Radev said in a televised address.
According to him, there is no clear evidence of the perpetrators, but the result is favorable to the Russian Federation. The prime minister said that he would summon the Russian ambassador for explanations and should hold a conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Bulgaria has also appealed to NATO and the EU for help.
This is the second such attack since the beginning of the month. Thus, on October 6, at approximately 03:00, 70 nautical miles from the city of Byala, air and sea drones hit two merchant ships. The Alfa Watan, flying the Togolese flag, sank with all 10 crew members — nine Syrian citizens and one Egyptian. 18 sailors were evacuated from the Able, flying the Palau flag.
Meanwhile, the European Union called on Russia to stop attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, and also announced cooperation with Bulgaria and Romania in the wake of the latest attacks.
