Two merchant ships were attacked by naval and aerial drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the early hours of Tuesday. The first vessel, the Togolese-flagged Alfa Watan, sank east of the Bulgarian coast, and its crew remains unaccounted for. The second, the Palau-flagged Able, caught fire after being struck, but all 18 members of its crew were rescued by a Bulgarian vessel.
The attack prompted Prime Minister Rumen Radev to convene an extraordinary meeting with representatives of state institutions. Later in the day, President Iliana Iotova scheduled a meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security for Wednesday to discuss “Current risks and threats to Bulgaria’s maritime security and critical infrastructure in the context of the war in Ukraine.”
Radev said a rescue operation had been launched some 70 nautical miles east of the coastal town of Byala, in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The Palau-flagged Able was carrying wheat and sailing south, while Alfa Watan was sailing north and its cargo was not known, he added.
A key role in the rescue operation was played by the Bulgarian-flagged RO-RO/passenger ferry Dioscuria which was urgently diverted to the scene to provide assistance. All 18 sailors aboard the Able vessel were successfully evacuated and transported to Varna. According to information provided by Radev, 11 of the crew members are Turkish nationals and seven are Indian nationals. Two of the rescued sailors sustained more serious injuries. Varna Regional Governor Mario Smarkov said one of them, a mechanic on the vessels, had suffered burns covering 45% of his body and was in critical condition. The other injured man, the captain of the attacked vessel, sustained injuries to his head, chest and left leg and was discharged after receiving medical treatment.
Radev described the attack as “absolutely unacceptable” and a “blatant violation of international law and maritime law.” He said it was not clear where the drones had come from, “but they were clearly either Russian or Ukrainian.”
Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said that wreckage from the drones that attacked the vessels needed to be recovered in order to determine who they belonged to. “It is absurd to suggest that the drones were misled. This was an attack, and an unacceptable one, on merchant vessels,” he said. Stoyanov added that there were risks to national security, but no information indicating a risk of an environmental disaster.
Earlier in the day, the Varna Black Sea Basin Directorate launched an emergency inspection along Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast to establish the condition of seawater in the areas of Cape Kaliakra, Byala and Sozopol and identify any pollution potentially linked to the incident.
Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov said that deploying a Su-25 aircraft was the fastest way to provide surveillance in the area, adding that two Cougar helicopters were later dispatched. He noted the crew of the sunken vessel had only three minutes to react. Asked about the capability of Bulgaria’s air force and navy to defend against drones, Eftimov said that both drones and anti-drone systems were still developing. “We are working on projects under the SAFE mechanism, where we expect to acquire some 20 systems. We are also working on an air defence project, which will additionally provide anti-drone systems. We participate in all NATO and EU initiatives,” he said. ”We are in constant contact with NATO operational structures regarding the incident,” he added.
In a post on X, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova said the incident was “not only a matter of maritime security, but a reminder that the security of the Black Sea is inseparable from Europe’s security.” She described it as ”another step in the dangerous escalation of the war in Ukraine” and said ”all possible diplomatic efforts to bring this war to an end” should be supported. Petrova added that she was in close contact with European partners and NATO and that Bulgaria would work with its partners to assess the broader implications for security and navigation in the Black Sea.
Captain Dimitar Dimitrov, president of the European Confederation of Maritime Masters’ Associations, said the surviving vessel should be closely monitored, noting that Bulgaria can take action in its exclusive economic zone only if there is a risk to people or the environment. He added that, as the Black Sea is considered a war-risk area, insurance and transport costs for vessels and cargoes could rise, reducing regional competitiveness and potentially contributing to food shortages given the region’s importance for grain exports.
Drone Attack on Two Merchant Ships in Bulgaria’s Exclusive Economic Zone Prompts President to Convene Security Council 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-06 18:57:00
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