Escalation in the Black Sea: Drone Attack Targets Cargo Ships Near Bulgaria

Two cargo ships were attacked by drones in Bulgarian economic waters in the Black Sea on Tuesday, resulting in one sinking and 10 crew members missing, while the second ship caught fire and two crew members were seriously injured.

Reports indicate that the cargo ship 'Alpha Wotan', owned by a Turkish entity and flying the Togolese flag, was hit around 3 a.m., approximately 112 kilometers from the coastal town of Byala in eastern Bulgaria, before sinking into the sea. Ten of its crew members are still missing.

The ship 'ABLE', also owned by a Turkish entity and flying the Palauan flag, was hit during the same attack and caught fire. The rescue crew managed to evacuate all 18 crew members, including 11 Turks and 7 Indians, while the two seriously injured were taken to a hospital in the city of Varna.

According to a maritime security source, initial estimates suggest that the drones were launched from Russia, but Bulgarian authorities stated that investigations have not yet determined the responsible party for the attack, and it remains unclear whether Russia or Ukraine is behind it.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Roman Radev described the targeting of the ships as a flagrant violation of international law.