Black Sea drone strikes near Bulgaria sink ship, spark security alarm

Bulgaria said on Wednesday that Russia's war in Ukraine has sharply worsened security in the Black Sea region after drone attacks hit commercial ships off the country's coast. Iliana Yotova made the remarks after an emergency meeting of Bulgaria's Security Council.

The meeting was held a day after two commercial vessels were struck by drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. One ship sank and the other caught fire, while Bulgarian authorities said an investigation was under way to determine where the drones came from.

Speaking to reporters, Yotova said the war in Ukraine was undermining security for commercial shipping, though she did not directly blame Russia because of the ongoing Bulgarian investigation. "Russia's war against Ukraine has led to a significant deterioration of the security environment in the Black Sea region," she said. "There is a growing trend of attacks by maritime and aerial drones against commercial vessels, leading to damage and the sinking of ships, as well as loss of life."

Senior government and security officials discussed Bulgaria's maritime security and critical infrastructure in the context of the war in Ukraine. Yotova said, "The Security Council categorically condemns the attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea as a gross violation of international law and demands a fast check to identify the perpetrators."

The sea and aerial drone attacks took place about 128 km off Bulgaria's coast. The Togo-flagged ship Alfa Watan suffered critical structural damage and sank at the scene. The second vessel, the Palau-flagged Able, caught fire after the attack. A Bulgarian ferry evacuated all 18 crew members.

Bulgarian maritime authorities said on Wednesday that search efforts for the crew of Alfa Watan had been suspended and would not resume. Vice Admiral Rumen Nikolov, who led the rescue operation, said no survivors or bodies had been found. He said the drone strike had caused an extremely powerful explosion and that the ship had sunk almost instantly.

Bulgarian authorities said the origin of the drones was being investigated, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia for the strikes. In a statement sent to local media on Wednesday, the Russian Embassy in Sofia rejected Russian involvement in the attacks on the two ships, saying "they were not among the targets hit by Russian armed forces." It also quoted Russia's Defence Ministry as saying that "to determine the nationality" of the drones used in the strikes, it was necessary to wait for the results of the investigation.

Tuesday's attacks came a day after a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying corn caught fire following a drone attack and later sank in the Black Sea. Two people died and 11 crew members were rescued.

As Bulgaria and Romania narrowed down the list of suspects, the European Commission confirmed on Wednesday that the two countries had asked for satellite imagery after the attacks, and that the European Union was providing it through its space data analysis centre.

If Zelenskyy's allegations are proven, the attacks on a NATO member's territory would mark a fresh escalation in what European leaders and intelligence officials have described as a growing hybrid campaign by Russia aimed at testing the military alliance and the 27-member EU. Such attacks can seek to destabilise a country, test its defences, stretch resources or influence public opinion, often in a way that makes it difficult to identify those responsible.

An Associated Press interactive map tracking such incidents shows the number rising from 59 in March 2025 to more than 200 now. The latest strikes near Bulgaria have added to concern over the safety of commercial shipping and the wider security situation in the Black Sea.

With PTI Inputs

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