Two strikes on merchant shipping off Bulgaria’s coast have left 11 people missing, underscoring how the war in Ukraine is increasingly reverberating across the Black Sea.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev summoned Russia’s ambassador after drones hit a Ukrainian-owned cargo vessel and a second ship was struck and sank further north off the shoreline of the NATO and EU member state.
Shipping in the Black Sea has faced intensifying disruption in recent months as the Ukraine-Russia conflict spills into vital trade corridors.
Mr Radev said the Ukrainian-owned cargo ship Chelsea 3 was “hit by three aerial drones”, and that shortly afterward another vessel was “struck” and went down.
“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, calling the attack “unacceptable”.
The presidency later named the sunken vessel as the HS Dignity, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship, and said it went down 17 nautical miles east of the Bulgarian town of Krapets.
“According to information we got from the rescue centre … five people were rescued and 11 are missing. This is preliminary information,” a spokeswoman for the northeastern region of Dobrich said.
The Bulgarian interior ministry said the ship had been travelling from Algeria to the Romanian port of Braila and was crewed by Syrian and Egyptian nationals.
Mr Radev said all 15 crew members on board the Chelsea 3 — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — were rescued.
The interior ministry said the vessel was struck 16 nautical miles east of the Bulgarian town of Byala.
Logic suggests the outcome works to the advantage of the Russian Federation, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said
‘Illogical for Ukraine to strike own ships’
Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said it would be “illogical for the Ukrainians to strike their own ships”.
“Under these circumstances, we assume the drones are Russian,” he said.
The remarks mark the first time Bulgaria — whose leader Mr Radev has sought to maintain Euro-Atlantic alignment while pursuing a more conciliatory posture toward Moscow — has directly singled out Russia.
After speaking with Radev, NATO chief Mark Rutte said the alliance would recalibrate its defences “as needed”.
“We have already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank and will continue to monitor the security environment, adjusting our deterrence and defence posture,” Mr Rutte said.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned the strikes, describing them as “another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine”.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga also pointed the finger at Russia, denouncing what he called Moscow’s “deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea”.
“The Black Sea is a lifeline for global food security. Russia is attacking it to weaponise hunger and hold the world hostage,” he posted on X.
Conflict spreads across the Black Sea
As the fallout from Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine mounts, drone attacks have become more common in neighbouring countries.
The fighting has also widened across the eastern Black Sea: at least 45 merchant vessels have been attacked in the past 12 months in waters previously not labelled high risk, maritime risk management group Ambrey said last month.
In the 12 months before that, Ambrey reported no strikes in those areas, saying the rise was fuelled by attacks occurring farther from the Russian and Ukrainian coasts.
Last week, two commercial ships were hit in the Black Sea off Bulgaria in an incident widely blamed on Russia, although Bulgarian authorities said the circumstances were unclear.
Nine Syrians and one Egyptian remain missing.
That pair of strikes came a day after another vessel caught fire and sank off Romania’s coast, killing one person and leaving another missing. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian drones hit that ship.
Two Bulgarian human rights organisations — the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and Bulgarian Lawyers for Human Rights — have urged prosecutors to immediately investigate possible war crimes in connection with the attacks.
