Ship Sinks in New Drone Attack in Bulgaria; Prime Minister Summons Russian Ambassador

Bulgaria's prime minister says two commercial ships were hit by drones, and he suspects Russia is behind the attacks.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Roman Radov said a merchant ship had sunk after drones hit two ships off the coast of the Black Sea.

He pointed out that Russia is suspected in these attacks and has summoned the country's ambassador.

He said one of the ships went down 17 nautical miles (31 km) east of Karpates and one crew member was rescued. He added: Another ship belonging to Ukraine was hit by three drones in 18 nautical miles of Byala city, and all 15 crew members were rescued.

The drone strikes come a week after two other commercial ships were hit by naval and air drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. One of the ships named Alpha Watan sank and it is assumed that all 10 crew members, including 9 Syrians, were killed.

Radov called an emergency meeting on Tuesday and said he had summoned Russian envoy Eleonora Mitrofanova. Although there was no conclusive evidence of blame on "either side," he said, "logic suggests that the outcome favors the Russian Federation."

Bulgaria is a member of NATO and the prime minister said he would soon speak with Secretary General Mark Rutte. Radeff had previously requested technical assistance from NATO and the European Union to investigate the October 6 attacks, which indicated that it was unclear whether Russia and Ukraine were behind the attacks.

Radov came to power in the summer and has since rejected suggestions that he is "pro-Russian".

Ukraine directly blames Russia and Europe for the recent attacks. Stavrsula von der Leyen, the head of the commission, said on Tuesday that the Black Sea has become "another aspect for the escalation of Russia's war in Ukraine". This is unacceptable.

The Russian military has not publicly commented on the matter. As part of its war against Ukraine, the country has recently intensified its attacks on ships in the Black Sea, especially on the western side.

On the same day that two ships were targeted off the coast of Bulgaria last week, Ukraine collided with an oil tanker in the Russian port of Sochi on the Black Sea.

Moscow says it is targeting ships delivering weapons and dual-purpose cargo to Ukrainian ports - citing attacks last week in the ports of Mykolaiv and Chornomorsk, as well as an attack in the Black Sea.

However, Kiev and its European allies say commercial ships carrying grain and other civilian cargo are being attacked.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria said in a meeting with his security chiefs that another attack on commercial ships in the vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters is absolutely unacceptable.

Radeff identified one of the vessels as the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, registered in Odessa, Ukraine, and said five crew members were being treated for minor injuries. He did not provide further details about the shipwreck.

Andriy Sibiha, Ukraine's foreign minister, said: "Russia's recent attack on merchant ships near Bulgarian territorial waters ... once again demonstrates Moscow's willful disregard for civilian life and maritime security in the Black Sea."

He added: "The Black Sea is a lifeline for global food security. Russia is attacking it to weaponize hunger and hold the world hostage. This must be countered with force."

Russia and Ukraine are both major grain exporters, and Turkey has called on both countries to stop attacks in the Black Sea.

Moscow has repeatedly rejected US and European requests for a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and blames Ukraine for attacking Russian commercial ships in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Moscow currently controls about 20 percent of Ukraine's territory.