Drone Attack: Ship Sunk, Sailors Rescued, Authorities Mobilised After Black Sea Incident (OVERVIEW)

For the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine, two commercial ships were attacked by drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The explosions sank one of the vessels, while the other was engulfed in flames. Bulgarian rescuers pulled the crew of the stricken vessel from the water. All those aboard the second vessel are still being searched for further out to sea, around 130 kilometres from the town of Byala. Prime Minister Rumen Radev urgently convened ministers and security services and described the attack as unacceptable. The President also announced that she would convene the Consultative Council for National Security the following day.

• The President is convening the Consultative Council on National Security regarding Bulgaria’s maritime security

At 3am, the two commercial ships, sailing under foreign flags, were passing through Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. At that moment, they were struck by combat drones from the air and underwater. One sank instantly. The other began to take on water.

“I think the Russians dropped an underwater bomb on us; there was an explosion and a fire. It wasn’t a drone, it was underwater. I think it was Russian because we were carrying Ukrainian cargo,” a crew member of the 'Able' ship said.

There is still no official information about who launched the drones.

Rumen Radev, Prime Minister: “At around 3am last night, two commercial ships were attacked by drones – maritime and aerial drones. This has been categorically confirmed by the crews. Both ships sustained damage.”

At an emergency meeting with ministers and security services, Prime Minister Radev outlined what is known so far.

Rumen Radev, Prime Minister: “Eleven members of this crew are Turkish citizens and seven are Indian citizens. As far as we know, the second vessel was carrying wheat and was heading south, while the first vessel, which sank, was heading north. For us, as a responsible state, the most important thing within our exclusive economic zone is the health and lives of anyone sailing in that zone.”

• Rumen Radev on the attacked ships in the Black Sea: An absolutely unacceptable attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone

The Bulgarian roll-on/roll-off vessel 'Dioscuria' responded to the distress call from the two ships, located 70 nautical miles east of Byala. It was unable to assist the first vessel; only life jackets, three overturned life rafts and a boat were found at the scene, but no crew members from 'Alfa Watan'. All 18 crew members of the second vessel, Able, which also caught fire, were rescued. Later, two Cougar helicopters from Krumovo Air Base joined the search for the missing 'Alfa Watan' crew. A Su-25 aircraft also carried out aerial reconnaissance over the site where the vessel sank.

Dimitar Stoyanov, Minister of Defence: “As you know, the Su-25 has characteristics that allow it to fly over the maritime area at a lower speed in order to search for survivors. Conditions for a search-and-rescue operation in the area are good. The sea state is 1 to 2, visibility is more than 10 nautical miles, so we will do everything possible to search the entire area.”

The rescued crew members of 'Able' ship were brought to Varna, with the two more seriously injured men arriving first aboard a fast military patrol boat. The Indian crew member who suffered burns remains at the Military Medical Academy in Varna.

Mario Smyrkov, Regional Governor of Varna: “The captain, who is Turkish, was examined at St Anna Hospital because of a head injury and was discharged. The remaining 16 crew members arrived later and were taken to the Border Police for medical examinations.”

• The remaining 16 sailors from the stricken ship “Able” arrived in Varna

The company’s agent and employer will also provide support to the crew members. The Environment Ministry has taken seawater samples from the areas around Cape Kaliakra, Byala and Sozopol, which are being tested for pollution using a range of indicators. This is not the only potential danger posed by the incident, which is also increasing economic risks for the region as a whole.

Capt. Dimitar Dimitrov, Confederation of European Shipmaster's Associations: “All prices will increase because the Black Sea has now been designated a war-risk area, which means insurance premiums have risen, which in turn means that all freight rates are increasing. The cost of all imported goods is likely to rise. Naturally, the cost of exports will also increase.”

Photos: BTA

The motor vessel “Emil,” which was struck by a drone off the coast of Odessa in August and abandoned by its crew following a fire on board, continues to drift within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone.