Europeupdated 26m ago2 min read
Drones Strike Two Merchant Ships Off Bulgaria, Sinking Chelsea 3 and HS Dignity
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Two merchant ships in Bulgaria’s Black Sea EEZ were hit; one sank, crew missing. Chelsea 3's 15 crew were evacuated; five injuries reported.
Black Sea drone attacks
Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rumen Radev said drones struck two merchant ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria, sinking one and prompting rescue operations. Radev said the Ukrainian-owned, Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3 was hit by three drones and that the vessel’s 15-man crew, including seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, was rescued with five crew members receiving treatment for minor injuries. Bulgaria’s Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said authorities received a distress signal from the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity reporting a fire and a drone attack shortly after 1 a.m., and the vessel subsequently sank off Krapets.
Stoyanov said six of HS Dignity’s 16 crew members have been found and rescued, while the search for the others continues. Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack, saying, "The Black Sea has become another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine."
Summons, evidence, and NATO
Radev summoned the Russian ambassador, Eleonora Mitrofanova, after the drone attacks, and he said the government lacked "solid and clear" evidence to accuse Moscow. Radev also told reporters that "the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation," while he said he would summon Mitrofanova for a conversation. Mark Rutte said NATO would adjust its defenses "as needed" after the incident, and he said the alliance would continue to work closely with allies in the Black Sea.
Stoyanov said he saw no reason for Ukraine to attack vessels owned by Ukrainians and that the expectation in the current situation was that Russian drones had been used. Mitrofanova later told Bulgarian media she had received no information from Russia’s Defence Ministry about attacks on commercial vessels, and she did not rule out a provocation by a third party.
Search continues and wider stakes
Search and rescue operations continued for HS Dignity, with Anadolu Ajansı reporting that the Syrian Sailors Union said 11 sailors remained missing and that six boats and two helicopters were taking part. The Syrian Sailors Union said 14 Syrians were among the 16 crew members aboard HS Dignity, and it said the ship sank after being targeted by an aerial drone and two unmanned surface vessels. CBC reported that Bulgarian officials said five crew members had been rescued but 11 were still listed as missing from the ship that sank off the coast of the village of Krapets.
Radev said Bulgaria was seeking NATO and European Union assistance during an emergency meeting of Bulgaria’s Security Council, and he called the attacks "absolutely unacceptable". Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the strike once again demonstrated Moscow’s "deliberate disregard for civilian lives" and maritime security in the Black Sea.