Europeupdated 6m ago2 min read
Bulgaria Rescues Chelsea 3 Crew After Drones Hit Near Byala, Summons Russian Ambassador
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Two merchant ships hit by drones near Bulgaria; one sank, 11 sailors missing. 15 Chelsea 3 crew rescued; five with minor injuries reported.
Bulgaria summons Moscow
Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rumen Radev said drones hit the Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3 and damaged it near Bulgarian territorial waters, and Bulgaria’s border police carried out a rescue of the 15 crew members aboard. Radev said five crew members received medical treatment for minor injuries, and he said the Varna Maritime Rescue Center received a distress signal at 1:30 in the morning from a vessel located almost 30 kilometers from the Bulgarian town of Byala. Bulgaria also summoned Russian ambassador Eleonora Mitrofánova, after Radev said the government lacked “solid and clear evidence” to accuse Moscow while “the logic suggests that the result benefits the Russian Federation.” Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack as “unacceptable” and said the Black Sea had become “another front in the escalation of the war in Ukraine.”
Sinking and missing sailors
Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rumen Radev said a second merchant ship was hit in the same period, and he said the other vessel sank off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The BBC reported that eleven crew members were missing and one sailor was saved after the vessel sank 17 nautical miles east of the village of Krapets, and it identified the other hit vessel as the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3 with all 15 crew rescued. Al Jazeera said the incident involved two ships hit by drones, and it reported that “All 10 crew members from the ship that sank remain unaccounted for.” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance would adjust its defences “as needed” after the incident, while Bulgaria sought support to strengthen air and maritime surveillance.
Europe weighs deterrence
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Black Sea had become “another front in the escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine,” and she said “Those responsible should be held accountable.” NATO’s Mark Rutte said the alliance would continue to work closely with allies in the Black Sea and that it had “already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank.” 20Minutos said NATO’s allied supreme commander for Europe, American General Alexus Grynkewich, presented a “theory of victory” at the Warsaw Security Forum, and it quoted Grynkewich saying the alliance was “prepared.” 20Minutos also quoted Grynkewich saying “Deterring conflict also requires readiness for combat, and readiness requires planning for what is possible, not only what is probable,” linking the discussion to hybrid attacks in Europe.