Eleven sailors remain missing after a drone attack sank a cargo ship off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, prompting Sofia to summon Russia’s ambassador as tensions over maritime security escalate amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
Bulgarian officials said two cargo vessels were struck by drones overnight on Tuesday, leaving one ship sunk. Five crew members aboard the sunken vessel were rescued, while search efforts continued for the 11 missing sailors.
Although Bulgaria has not directly accused Russia of carrying out the attacks, Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the incident, saying its consequences benefited Moscow.
“This is absolutely unacceptable — another attack in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters,” Radev said in a televised address.
Russia had not issued an immediate response to the allegations as of Tuesday. Ukraine and the European Union also condemned the attacks, expressing concern over the growing risks to commercial shipping in the Black Sea.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the incidents as evidence of the expanding consequences of the war.
“The Black Sea has become another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine,” she wrote on X, adding that those responsible must be held accountable.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also criticised the attacks, accusing Russia of disregarding civilian lives and threatening global food supplies.
“The Black Sea is a lifeline for global food security. Russia is attacking it to weaponise hunger and hold the world hostage,” Sybiha wrote on X on Tuesday.
Bulgarian media identified the sunken vessel as the Azov Concord. Its Turkey-based manager was not immediately available for comment.
A second vessel, the Chelsea 3, sailing under the Maltese flag, was reportedly struck by three drones during the same overnight incident. Bulgarian officials said all 15 crew members were rescued without serious injuries. The crew comprised seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis.
The latest attack follows another deadly incident in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea a week earlier. Ten sailors — nine Syrians and one Egyptian — were reported lost at sea after a vessel was struck by drones. Another ship was hit during the same incident, but its crew was rescued.
The successive incidents have heightened concerns about the safety of commercial vessels operating in the Black Sea, where maritime routes have become increasingly exposed to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, both countries have targeted strategic infrastructure and maritime assets linked to their rival’s economic and military interests.
The Black Sea remains critical to international trade and food security, as Russia and Ukraine are among the world’s leading grain exporters. Disruptions to shipping routes in the region can affect grain supplies and increase risks for commercial operators.
Russian attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports have forced Kyiv to expand its use of Danube River ports and shipping routes close to the coastlines of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has increasingly targeted Russian grain-exporting vessels in other parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, including areas near the mouth of the Don River.
The latest ship attacks underscore the growing dangers facing civilian crews and commercial shipping as the conflict continues to threaten vital maritime trade routes.
