Bulgaria Condemns Drone Strikes Sinking Commercial Ship in Black Sea

Bulgaria is scrambling to find a missing crew following drone strikes that hit two commercial vessels in the Black Sea. The Togo-flagged ship Alfa Watan sank right where it was struck by the missiles, while its partner vessel caught fire. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev called this an absolutely unacceptable attack on his nation's waters.

The assault happened Tuesday morning around 3am local time, or 00:00 GMT for international observers. It occurred roughly 70 nautical miles off the Bulgarian coast. This incident adds to a growing pattern of drone attacks targeting shipping routes in the Black Sea as the Russia-Ukraine war expands geographically.

Radev told reporters that drones from both sea and air launched the dual strike. He labeled the event a blatant violation of international law and maritime rules within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. No one knows exactly who fired the weapons yet, but investigators are working to pinpoint the origin.

The Alfa Watan suffered critical structural damage before going under. There was no immediate word on how many crew members were aboard or if they survived. Authorities have launched a major search operation for them. The exact number of missing people remains unconfirmed by Radev.

The second ship, known as the Able and flagged to Palau, did not sink but burned after being hit. A Bulgarian ferry and a naval fast boat pulled all 18 crew members from the water safely. Two sailors suffered serious injuries. Medical teams flew them to a hospital in Varna port city. Radev confirmed these details after an emergency meeting Tuesday.

The cargo situation differs between the two ships. The Able was reportedly hauling wheat while heading south. The Alfa Watan was sailing north, though its specific cargo remains unknown. Officials are currently monitoring the area for oil spills and other signs of environmental pollution that might result from the sinking ship.

This attack follows another disaster just one day prior off the Romanian coast. That previous incident involved a fire on a vessel that sank in neutral waters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described that earlier event as a horrific strike by two Russian drones against a civilian ship. One person died and another remains missing from that separate tragedy.

Radev warned that current events are seriously disrupting shipping across the Black Sea. These disruptions drive up insurance costs even further and make sailing through the region extremely difficult for merchants everywhere. He noted that the war is expanding in scope, which increases the risk of a wider global conflict involving more nations.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar responded quickly to the news. Budapest stands in full solidarity with Bulgaria following this attack on two ships. The situation highlights how far-reaching the conflict has become and how vulnerable commercial traffic remains despite international warnings.