Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Tuesday that two ships were attacked by drones in the Black Sea, one struck by three aerial drones and the other was hit and sunk.
Radev called the latest attack on merchant ships in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters “absolutely unacceptable,” according to the Bulgarian News Agency. An emergency meeting of the Security Council under the Council of Ministers was convened, and footage from the meeting was published on the prime minister’s Facebook profile.
Radev said Bulgaria was once again conducting an emergency search-and-rescue operation for a vessel in the Black Sea. A distress call concerning a ship 18 nautical miles east of Byala was received at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, he said. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Varna responded immediately, and emergency response assets were deployed, he added. According to the crew, the vessel had been struck by three aerial drones on its deck and side.
The vessel was the Chelsea 3, which sails under the Maltese flag, is registered in Odesa and is Ukrainian-owned, Radev said. A Border Police crew rescued all those on board, seven Ukrainian nationals and eight Azerbaijani nationals, according to the prime minister. The crew was transported to the port of Varna just minutes before his statement. Five crew members were receiving medical assistance for injuries believed to be minor, according to the information available to the authorities.
Another vessel, 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, was hit and sunk, Radev reported. One crew member from that vessel was rescued.
The incidents come a week after two ships were attacked by maritime and aerial drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. That prompted President Iliana Iotova to convene the Consultative Council for National Security.
Bulgaria’s permanent representatives to NATO and the European Union have been informed, Radev said. He is due to speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Bulgaria is continuing to seek support for investigations into last week’s attacks, to establish conclusively which country the drones originated from, Radev said. It will also continue to request and insist on assistance to strengthen surveillance of its airspace and maritime domain and to enhance its response capabilities, he added.
“We do not have solid and clear evidence to bring accusations against any of the parties.”
The logic of the situation suggests the outcome benefits the Russian Federation, he added, and he will summon Ambassador Mitrofanova for a meeting on Tuesday.
