Two merchant ships were struck in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Black Sea early on Tuesday 13 October, and Prime Minister Rumen Radev confirmed that one of them sank. The Maltese-flagged, Ukrainian-owned cargo ship Chelsea 3 was reported hit by three aerial drones at about 01:30 local time (22:30 GMT). It was 15 to 18 nautical miles (28 to 33 kilometres) east of Byala.
This is the second such incident in a week, after the 6 October strikes on two cargo ships in the same waters. No party has been officially blamed. Radev said Bulgaria has no clear evidence identifying the perpetrator, but added that "the outcome benefits the Russian Federation." That is his assessment, not an established finding.
What is confirmed about the two vessels
Radev confirmed that a second merchant ship was struck about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets and sank. Bulgarian National Television (BNT) and the shipping site Maritime.bg named it the Azov Concord (The Sofia Globe spells it Azov Concorde), but reports differ on its flag and authorities have not officially confirmed its identity. As of 09:30 CEST, one crew member had been reported rescued. The number of people aboard and the fate of any others were not confirmed, and a search and rescue operation was under way. Those figures may change.
Chelsea 3, a 136-metre cargo ship registered in Odesa, stayed afloat. Reports say it was sailing from Giresun, Türkiye, to Giurgiulești, Moldova's port on the Danube. Bulgarian authorities said Border Police evacuated all 15 crew (seven Ukrainians, eight Azerbaijanis) to Varna, and five were treated for minor injuries. The ship was later brought into the port of Varna.
In a televised address, Radev called the attacks "absolutely unacceptable". He said he will summon Russia's ambassador, Eleonora Mitrofanova, and is due to speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Bulgaria's representatives to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) have been informed. On 12 October, Radev had already asked the EU and NATO for technical assistance, including with satellite data, to investigate the 6 October attacks. He said Bulgaria would keep seeking help to establish where the drones came from and to strengthen air and maritime surveillance.
Observers are reading: the specific indicators that will show whether Sofia and NATO keep treating these strikes as an investigative matter or escalate.
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Open questions for Black Sea shipping
In late September, the Joint War Committee, a London-based marine insurance body, added Bulgaria's EEZ to its high-risk list. The maritime risk firm Ambrey reported at least 45 attacks on commercial vessels in parts of the Black Sea that had seen none in the previous 12 months. Drone strikes on western Black Sea shipping have been reported since at least March, when the tanker Altura was hit near the Bosphorus. The drones' origin and type remain under investigation.
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