Bulgaria Launches Major Search After Drones Sink One Ship, Damage Another in Black Sea

Bulgarian authorities have mounted a large-scale search and rescue operation in the Black Sea after drone strikes targeted two commercial vessels early Tuesday, sinking one ship and setting the other ablaze, according to Prime Minister Rumen Radev.

The attacks occurred at approximately 3am local time (00:00 GMT), roughly 70 nautical miles (130 kilometres) off Bulgaria's coastline. Radev condemned the strikes as "absolutely unacceptable" and described them as a blatant violation of international law and maritime law within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.

The Togo-flagged vessel Alfa Watan sustained critical structural damage and went down at the scene of the attack. There was no immediate information about the fate of its crew, and the prime minister did not specify how many people were aboard or missing. Bulgarian naval and border police assets were deployed to search for survivors.

The second ship, the Palau-flagged Able, caught fire after being struck. A Bulgarian ferry and a naval fast boat responded to the emergency, successfully evacuating all 18 crew members from the burning vessel. Two sailors sustained serious injuries and were airlifted to a hospital in the port city of Varna for treatment.

According to Radev, the Able was transporting wheat and was sailing in a southerly direction when it was hit. The Alfa Watan was travelling north at the time of the attack. The cargo aboard the sunken vessel remained unknown, and authorities were monitoring the area for possible oil spills and other signs of environmental contamination.

The prime minister said the strikes involved both sea drones and aerial drones, though the origin of the unmanned vehicles had not been immediately established. The dual attack came just one day after another ship caught fire and sank off the Romanian coast, killing one person and leaving another missing.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the previous day's sinking was caused by "a horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel" in neutral waters. That vessel, according to Ukraine, was targeted in Romanian waters. Russia has not publicly commented on either incident.

The strikes represent a significant escalation in the Black Sea region, where shipping has been severely disrupted by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Radev warned that the conflict was expanding geographically and increasing the risk of a broader global confrontation.

"What is happening is seriously disrupting shipping in the Black Sea, driving up insurance costs even further and making shipping extremely difficult," Radev told reporters following an emergency meeting on Tuesday. He emphasised that the attacks on commercial vessels in Bulgaria's economic zone crossed a dangerous threshold.

The Black Sea has become an increasingly hazardous corridor for commercial shipping since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Drone strikes, naval mines, and missile attacks have rendered traditional maritime routes risky, forcing insurers to impose steep premiums on vessels transiting the region and prompting some shipping companies to reroute entirely.

Bulgaria, a NATO member state, shares a maritime border with Romania and Turkey in the Black Sea. The attack on vessels within its exclusive economic zone raises questions about the adequacy of existing security guarantees for commercial shipping in the region and the capacity of littoral states to protect maritime traffic.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar expressed solidarity with Bulgaria following the strikes, saying Budapest "stands in full solidarity with Bulgaria." The statement underscores the broader concern among European Union and NATO members about the spillover effects of the war into allied territory and waters.

The search operation for the missing crew of the Alfa Watan continued into Tuesday afternoon, with Bulgarian authorities coordinating naval, air, and coastal resources. The condition of the two injured sailors evacuated from the Able remained serious but stable, according to hospital officials in Varna.

Environmental teams were also deployed to assess potential pollution from the sunken vessel. While the Alfa Watan's cargo was unknown, any fuel or hazardous materials aboard could pose a threat to marine ecosystems in the area, which is ecologically sensitive and economically vital to Bulgaria's coastal communities.

The incidents have renewed calls for strengthened maritime security cooperation among Black Sea nations. Analysts note that the use of sea drones against commercial shipping represents an evolving tactic in modern warfare that is difficult to counter with traditional naval defences, leaving merchant vessels increasingly vulnerable.

Radev's warning that the war is expanding geographically reflects growing anxiety across Eastern Europe. As drone and missile attacks extend beyond the immediate front lines, neighbouring countries face mounting pressure to bolster their defences while avoiding direct entanglement in the conflict.

The international community has yet to respond formally to the attack on Bulgarian-flagged interests, but the strikes are likely to feature in upcoming NATO and EU discussions on Black Sea security. For now, Bulgaria's priority remains the search for the missing crew and the safety of maritime navigation in its waters.