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Two cargo ships were attacked overnight on October 13 off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. The Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3 was struck by three drones; all 15 crew members were evacuated, with five reported to have minor injuries. A second ship sank, and Bulgaria plans to summon the Russian ambassador, although Radev said there is not yet solid evidence to assign blame.
Two cargo ships were attacked overnight on October 13 in the Black Sea off Bulgaria, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. Three drones struck the Ukrainian-owned, Malta-flagged vessel Chelsea 3, while a second ship sank; Bulgaria plans to summon Russia’s ambassador, though Radev said there is not yet clear evidence to identify who was responsible.
The Chelsea 3 was struck about 18 nautical miles (33 kilometers) east of Byala, according to Radev. Its 15 crew members — seven Ukrainian citizens and eight Azerbaijani citizens — were evacuated. Preliminary reports said five sailors sustained minor injuries. The report did not specify the extent of damage to the vessel or where it was taken after the evacuation.
A second cargo ship sank about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, Radev said. One crew member from that vessel was rescued. The source report did not provide the ship’s name, flag, ownership, the number of people aboard, or information about the condition of the rescued crew member.
Radev described the attacks as having occurred close to Bulgarian territorial waters and said he had a scheduled call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Bulgaria intends to summon Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova. These are the government’s announced diplomatic steps; the account does not report that the meeting or summons had already taken place.
Risks to Black Sea Shipping
The attacks put the safety of commercial vessels and their crews back in focus in the Black Sea, where the war in Ukraine has heightened maritime security concerns. One ship was reportedly hit by drones and another sank, with five minor injuries reported among the first vessel’s crew. The available account does not establish whether those aboard the second ship faced additional harm.
The incident also carries a diplomatic risk for Bulgaria. Sofia’s plan to summon Russia’s ambassador signals that the government is seeking an explanation, while Radev’s public statement that responsibility is not yet proven underlines the difference between political concern and established attribution. Any confirmed account of who carried out the attacks could affect how Bulgaria and its partners respond to threats near the country’s coast.
Radev’s planned call with NATO chief Mark Rutte places the incident on the alliance’s diplomatic agenda, but the source does not say that NATO has reached a finding or announced a security response. For ship operators and maritime crews, the immediate issue is that two commercial vessels were attacked in the same overnight period near Bulgaria, amid a recent report of similar incidents.
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A Second Reported Attack
The attacks reported on October 13 followed another incident about a week earlier. Drones attacked two cargo ships around 110 kilometers (68 miles) from Bulgaria’s coast, according to the source report. The crew of one vessel was evacuated and the other ship sank. Reuters reported that the earlier incident was the first known drone attack on civilian ships in Bulgarian waters since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The previous event and the latest attacks show a sequence of reported incidents, but they do not by themselves establish that the same actor was responsible or that the vessels were targeted for the same reason. In the October 13 case, Radev said the evidence was not conclusive. Attribution remains a separate question from the confirmed account of damage, evacuation and rescue.
“Russia’s latest attack on commercial vessels near Bulgaria’s territorial waters, which injured Ukrainian and Azerbaijani citizens, once again demonstrates Moscow’s deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea.”
— Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha
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Responsibility and Damage Remain Unclear
No responsible party has been established in the information available from the report. Radev said Bulgaria did not have solid and unambiguous evidence to make accusations, while Sybiha directly blamed Russia. The two officials’ statements should not be treated as equivalent findings: Sybiha’s is an accusation, and Radev explicitly described the evidence as inconclusive.
Details about the second ship and its crew remain limited. The vessel’s identity, flag, ownership, number of people aboard and the rescued crew member’s condition were not provided. The report also offers no independent account of the drone launches, the cause of the sinking, the precise damage to Chelsea 3, or whether investigators have recovered evidence that could identify those responsible.
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Diplomatic Contacts and Investigation
Bulgaria plans to summon Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova, and Radev said he had a call scheduled with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The source does not give a date for either contact or report any outcome, so further official statements will be needed to establish what Sofia or NATO concludes.
The immediate questions are whether authorities can determine how the ships were attacked and who was responsible, and whether more information will emerge about the sunken vessel and its crew. Until such details are released, the attack should be reported with the confirmed rescue and injury information kept separate from claims about responsibility.
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Key Questions
What happened to the two cargo ships?
Chelsea 3 was hit by three drones about 18 nautical miles east of Byala. A second cargo ship sank about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, according to Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev.
Were any crew members injured or rescued?
All 15 crew members of Chelsea 3 were evacuated; preliminary reports said five had minor injuries. One crew member from the sunken ship was rescued. The source report does not provide further details about that person’s condition or the other crew members.
Has Bulgaria said who carried out the attacks?
No. Radev said Bulgaria lacked solid and unambiguous evidence to make accusations. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha blamed Russia, but his statement is an accusation, not a confirmed finding in the source report.
What response has Bulgaria announced?
Bulgaria plans to summon Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova. Radev also said he had a call scheduled with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The report does not say these contacts had occurred or describe any resulting action.
Source: rss
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