Bulgarian PM Says Drone Attack Sank Ship off Black Sea Coast

Two vessels were hit in the attack, including the Ukrainian ship Chelsea 3, which was damaged.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Roman Radev said two ships were hit by drone attacks on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria and one of them sank.

The Ukrainian Chelsea 3, flying the Maltese flag, was hit by three drones at around 1:30 a.m. (22:30 GMT) on Tuesday and damaged about 18 nautical miles (33 km) from Bulgaria, Radov said.

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At the end of the list, Radeff said its crew of 15, including seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, were rescued. Five crew members received medical aid and no one was seriously injured.

He added: One of the crew of the sunken ship was also saved.

Radeff called this incident "completely unacceptable".

In a televised speech, he said: "Another attack in the vicinity of Bulgaria's territorial waters" and added: "I am going to talk to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte."

Radeff said there was no clear evidence of who carried out the attack, but "the outcome is in Russia's favor and the Russian ambassador will be summoned over the incident."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack on the ships.

"The Black Sea has become another front for the escalation of Russia's war in Ukraine," he said.

"We strongly condemn this unacceptable drone attack on commercial ships near the coast of Bulgaria. Putting the lives of the crew at serious risk and threatening security in the Black Sea," he wrote in X.

We stand with Bulgaria and thank its aid workers for their quick response. Von der Leyen added: Those who are responsible must be held accountable.

As a member of the NATO military alliance, Bulgaria is strategically located on the Black Sea, where Russia and Ukraine have vital ports.

The incident comes amid heightened concerns about hybrid attacks involving Russia.

Last week, drones attacked two ships off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, sinking one of them. All 10 crew members of the shipwreck are still unidentified.