Drones attack two commercial vessels in Black Sea off Bulgaria; one sinks
During the night of 12–13 October, drones attacked two merchant vessels in the Black Sea off the Bulgarian coast. The Maltese-flagged, Ukrainian-owned cargo ship CHELSEA 3 was struck by three drones about 18 nautical miles east of the city of Byala; all 15 crew members were evacuated to Varna. A second vessel sank about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, with one crew member rescued. Bulgaria's prime minister said he would summon Russia's ambassador and seek EU and NATO assistance, while noting that no categorical evidence yet attributes the attacks to a specific state.
Key points
- Drones attacked two commercial vessels in the Black Sea off Bulgaria during the night of 12–13 October; one vessel sank.
- The Maltese-flagged cargo ship CHELSEA 3, registered in Odesa and owned by a Ukrainian owner, was hit by three drones about 18 nautical miles (≈33 km) east of Byala.
- All 15 CHELSEA 3 crew members — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — were evacuated to Varna; five received medical assistance for minor injuries.
- A second vessel sank about 17 nautical miles (≈31 km) east of Krapets; one crew member was rescued.
- Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said he will summon Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova and hold talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
- Radev said there is no categorical evidence attributing the attacks to a specific state, but that the logic of events points to Russia benefiting.
- Bulgaria appealed to the EU and NATO for help investigating the attacks; Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called for stronger sanctions on Russia and protection of freedom of navigation.
Why it matters
The strikes hit a NATO member's waters and targeted civilian shipping, with one of the vessels carrying a crew that included seven Ukrainian citizens. Bulgaria's response — summoning Russia's ambassador, appealing to the EU and NATO for investigative help, and planning talks with NATO's secretary general — escalates the diplomatic dimension of the incident. The European Commission president's condemnation and framing of the Black Sea as a new front of escalation signal possible further EU engagement, while Ukraine's foreign minister used the attack to push for stronger sanctions and protection of freedom of navigation.
What happened
During the night of 12–13 October, drones attacked two commercial vessels in the Black Sea off the Bulgarian coast. A distress signal from one of the ships was received at 01:30 local time. The Maltese-flagged cargo vessel CHELSEA 3, registered in Odesa and owned by a Ukrainian owner, was struck by three aerial drones about 18 nautical miles (≈33 km) east of the city of Byala, sustaining hits to its deck and side. All 15 crew members — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — were evacuated to the port of Varna; five received medical assistance for minor injuries. A second vessel sank about 17 nautical miles (≈31 km) east of the village of Krapets, and one crew member was rescued. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened an extraordinary session of the Security Council, announced he would summon Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova for talks, and said he plans to speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Radev said there is no categorical evidence attributing the attacks to a specific state, but that the logic of events suggests Russia benefits. Bulgaria has appealed to the EU and NATO for assistance in investigating the attacks and strengthening monitoring of its air and maritime space. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said Ukrainian and Azerbaijani citizens were among the injured and called for stronger sanctions on Russia and protection of freedom of navigation. President Volodymyr Zelensky said, after contacts with the Bulgarian side, that the attack was carried out by Russia using combined sea and air drones. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks and said the Black Sea has become another front of escalation in Russia's war against Ukraine.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian-language coverage consistently attributes the attack to Russia and frames it as part of a campaign against civilian shipping in the western Black Sea. Outlets lead with President Zelensky's statement that it was a combined Russian sea-and-air drone strike aimed at making the western Black Sea unsuitable for navigation, and with Foreign Minister Sybiha's calls for stronger sanctions, protection of freedom of navigation, and the framing that Russia is attacking the Black Sea to weaponise hunger. Reports highlight that CHELSEA 3 is Ukrainian-owned, registered in Odesa, and carried seven Ukrainian crew among the 15 evacuated to Varna, underscoring the direct impact on Ukrainian citizens.
How international sources describe it
The single English-language report in the set is an Azerbaijani agency wire that focuses on the Azerbaijani citizens among the injured and quotes Foreign Minister Sybiha on that point without directly attributing the attack. Bulgarian official statements, as reported across sources, stop short of formally attributing the attacks to Russia, citing a lack of categorical evidence, while noting that the logic of events benefits Russia and announcing the summoning of Russia's ambassador and an appeal to EU and NATO partners. The European Commission president's quoted reaction condemns the attacks and frames the Black Sea as a new front of escalation, but is reported without directly naming a perpetrator.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on the fate of the ALFA WATAN's crew after the 6 October sinking: most Ukrainian outlets list 12 crew as missing, while data attributed to Romania's Interior Ministry reports two dead and 11 rescued. Most sources do not name the second vessel that sank on 12–13 October, but one identifies it as the Azov Concord.
Background
The 12–13 October strikes follow a series of recent drone attacks on merchant shipping in the western Black Sea. On 5 October, a vessel carrying grain from Ukraine to Italy was hit by drones off the Romanian coast, with at least one fatality reported. On 6 October, drones attacked two merchant vessels in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone — ALFA WATAN (flag of Togo) and ABLE (flag of Palau) — sinking ALFA WATAN within roughly three minutes and leaving its 12 crew missing; ABLE caught fire, but its 18-person crew was rescued. As of the latest reporting, Bulgaria's prime minister has publicly stated that no categorical evidence exists to attribute the drone origin to a specific state, while saying the logic of events points to Russia benefiting.