In brief
Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rumen Radev summoned the Russian ambassador following a drone strike that caused the vessel HS Dignity to sink off the Black Sea coast. Six crew members were rescued while ten others remain missing. The attacker also struck the Ukrainian‑owned ship Chelsea‑3, wounding five crew. The incident comes a week after a similar attack on the Alfa Watan, which sank, killing all ten on board. NATO and the EU are monitoring the situation as the attacks deepen regional instability.
Bulgaria summons Russian ambassador after drone attack sinks merchant vessel in the Black Sea
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev addressed the nation after two merchant ships were struck by drones off the Black Sea coast, a developing incident that saw one vessel sink.
Six crew members from the HS Dignity were rescued, while ten others remain missing. The ship was 17 nautical miles east of the village of Krapets when it went down after sending a distress signal.
The other vessel, the Ukrainian‑owned Chelsea‑3, was hit 18 nautical miles from the town of Byala. All 15 crew were rescued and five suffered minor injuries.
This is the second wave of drone strikes on commercial vessels in Bulgaria’s economic zone. The Alfa Watan, damaged a week earlier, sank and all ten crew, including nine Syrians, were presumed dead.
Radev convened an emergency meeting and said he had summoned Russian envoy Eleonora Mitrofanova. While there was no conclusive evidence pointing to Russia, the Prime Minister noted the logic suggests the outcome favors Moscow.
Mitrofanova stated she had no information from Russia’s defence ministry regarding the latest attacks and suggested a third party might have provoked the strikes.
The attacks occurred just outside Bulgarian territorial waters, in the Black Sea exclusive economic zone. If they had taken place a few miles further west, the NATO Article 5 defence clause could have been triggered.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Bulgaria and its allies would continue to monitor the security environment and adjust defence posture as needed.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strikes, calling them a deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime safety. He warned that the Black Sea is a lifeline for global food security and that Russia’s attacks are designed to weaponise hunger.
The incident follows a Ukrainian missile strike on a Russian black sea port and intensifies calls for a naval ceasefire. Russia has repeatedly rejected such calls, blaming Ukraine for targeting its merchant shipping.
