Drone attack in the Black Sea damages ship heading to Moldova
A cargo ship traveling from Turkey to the Republic of Moldova was struck by a drone in the Black Sea, near the Bulgarian coast. The crew of 15—seven Ukrainian and eight Azerbaijani nationals—were evacuated. Preliminary information indicates there were no casualties.
The incident occurred last night around 2:00 AM, approximately 15 nautical miles off the Bulgarian town of Biala. The Malta-flagged vessel "Chelsea 3" sustained damage and is listing slightly, the Varna Regional Administration press office said, according to Agerpres.
Bulgarian Border Police picked up the crew members and transported them to Varna.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev plans to summon Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova for a meeting today, according to a Facebook post.
"We do not have solid, clear evidence to accuse a specific party; however, as I have already stated, logic suggests that the outcome serves the interests of the Russian Federation," Radev said.
The incident comes amidst repeated attacks on ships in the region.
On October 6, two vessels were attacked using maritime and aerial drones within Bulgaria's Black Sea economic zone. Following these incidents, Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova convened the Consultative Council for National Security.
