A second merchant vessel, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, was hit by three drones near the coastal town of Byala. All 15 crew members were rescued. Some sustained injuries, but none were reported to be seriously hurt.
The incidents prompted Bulgaria to seek additional support for maritime and airspace surveillance and summon Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the attacks, saying they occurred close to the country’s territorial waters. He said there was no clear evidence identifying either side as responsible, although he argued that Russia benefited from the outcome.
Russia had not publicly commented on the attacks at the time of reporting. Following a meeting with Radev in Sofia, Mitrofanova said she had received no information from Russia’s Defence Ministry about attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. According to the Bulgarian government, she also did not rule out the possibility that a third party was responsible.
Ukraine blamed Russia for the latest incidents. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the attacks demonstrated Moscow’s disregard for civilian lives and maritime security. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the strikes and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
The latest incidents followed drone attacks on two merchant ships in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone on October 6. One of the vessels, the Alfa Watan, sank. All 10 crew members — nine Syrians and one Egyptian — were reported lost at sea. The crew of the second ship was rescued, but the search for those aboard the sunken vessel was subsequently called off.
Ship-tracking data from LSEG and MarineTraffic showed that Chelsea 3 had called at Romania’s port of Tulcea on October 3 before sailing towards the Bulgarian coast. The vessel was carrying cargo and was listed at 72% of its full load.
The HS Dignity was also partially loaded and was sailing towards the Romanian port of Braila after previously calling at Mostaganem in Algeria.
The attacks have raised further concerns about commercial shipping routes across the Black Sea, a major corridor for international grain exports. Russia and Ukraine are both among the world’s leading grain exporters, making the security of maritime transport in the region significant for global food supplies.
Russian attacks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports have pushed Ukraine to rely more heavily on Danube river ports and shipping routes near Bulgaria and Romania. Ukraine has also increasingly targeted Russian grain-exporting vessels elsewhere in the Black Sea and in the Sea of Azov, near the mouth of the Don River.
Bulgaria requested assistance from von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to strengthen maritime and airspace surveillance, according to the Bulgarian government. Radev discussed the issue with both leaders by telephone on Tuesday.
Rutte said NATO would adjust its military presence along the alliance’s eastern flank as necessary and continue cooperating with its Black Sea allies.
Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov also held discussions with his Romanian and Turkish counterparts on regional maritime security.