Drone strikes hit commercial vessels off Bulgaria and Romania

Early on Tuesday, two commercial vessels were struck by air and maritime drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, approximately 70 to 80 nautical miles off the coast of Byala. The Togo-flagged cargo ship Alfa Watan suffered severe structural damage following an explosion and sank quickly, leaving its crew missing. At 02:54, authorities received the first distress beacon from Alfa Watan, followed by a second distress signal at 03:23 from the Palau-flagged ship Able. Able caught fire after being struck, but a Bulgarian ferry evacuated all 18 crew members aboard. The strikes followed an incident on Monday in Romania's exclusive economic zone, where the cargo vessel Royad Mammadov sank after a drone attack, killing two crew members while 11 were rescued.

Search operations halted as casualties mount

Bulgarian maritime authorities suspended search and rescue operations for the missing crew of Alfa Watan on Tuesday at 17:00, confirming on Wednesday that the search would not resume. Specialised maritime monitoring reported ten Syrian sailors were aboard the vessel when it went down. Search teams recovered one overturned boat, three life rafts, and floating debris from the ship's equipment, but found no survivors or bodies. Of the 18 crew members evacuated from Able, 16 sailors, including ten Turkish and six Indian nationals, arrived safely at the port of Varna without requiring hospitalisation. Two injured crew members were transported to the Naval Hospital in Varna, with one receiving treatment for severe burns and the other for a head injury.

There are no traces of the sailors from the first ship, and there will be none. There is also no information about drone remains.

Regional defence responses and political reactions

Following an emergency meeting of Bulgaria's Security Council, Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova addressed the expanding maritime threat in the Black Sea. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that his government would approve the purchase of five surface-to-air missile systems to strengthen coastal air defence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a joint investigation with Bulgaria's navy indicated Russia was responsible for the attacks. In response, the Russian Embassy in Sofia issued a statement denying Russian military involvement, asserting that the commercial vessels were not among targets struck by Russian forces.

Russia's war against Ukraine has led to a significant deterioration of the security environment in the Black Sea region. There is a growing trend of attacks by maritime and aerial drones against commercial vessels, leading to damage and the sinking of ships, as well as loss of life.

European Union satellite assistance and surveillance

In Brussels, European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand announced that both Bulgaria and Romania requested European Union satellite imagery to evaluate maritime security in the western Black Sea. Wigand confirmed that the European Commission is providing the requested satellite materials, while the European Maritime Safety Agency offered operational monitoring support. Wigand also noted ongoing work on the Black Sea Maritime Security Centre, an initiative led by Romania and Bulgaria designed to improve vessel tracking and protect critical maritime infrastructure. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the attacks on civilian maritime shipping as unacceptable and affirmed European Union solidarity with member states along the eastern flank.