Drone strikes sink ship off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 08:02 · Archive

Drones have struck two ships off Bulgaria, sinking one vessel and damaging another in the second such incident in a week.

Drones have struck two ships off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, with one sinking in what Prime Minister Rumen Radev described as 'absolutely unacceptable'. The Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3, sailing under a Maltese flag, was hit by three drones and damaged about 30km off the coast early on Tuesday morning. The ship's crew of seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis were rescued, with five requiring medical assistance though no one was seriously injured. One crew member from the sunken vessel was also rescued.

Radev said there was no clear evidence of who carried out the attack but that 'the outcome benefits the Russian Federation'. He announced plans to speak with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and said he would summon the Russian ambassador to discuss the incident.

This is the second such attack in a week. On 6 October, drone strikes sank one cargo ship and damaged another in the Black Sea. Twelve crew members remain missing after the earlier sinking, whilst the 18-member crew of the damaged vessel were rescued. Bulgaria, a NATO member, holds a strategic position on the Black Sea despite not bordering Ukraine or Russia. Both countries maintain major ports in the region.

How it is being reported

• Drone sinks ship off Bulgaria's Black Sea coastDrones have struck two ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria, sinking one vessel and damaging a Ukrainian-owned ship in the second such incident in only days.The West Australian · 13 Oct, 07:36
• Drone sinks ship off Bulgaria's Black Sea coastDrones have struck two ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria, sinking one vessel and damaging a Ukrainian-owned ship in the second such incident in only days.Perth Now · 13 Oct, 07:36

In this story: Bulgaria · Black Sea · Rumen Radev · NATO · Ukraine · Russian Federation · Chelsea 3

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