Radev summons Russian ambassador after ship drone strikes
Two merchant ships were hit off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast and one sank. Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened his security chiefs, and NATO and Brussels responded.
Bulgaria, a neighbor of Serbia and a member of NATO and the European Union, found itself at the center of a maritime incident off its own coast on Tuesday, October 13. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said two merchant ships had been hit by drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast and that one of them had sunk. It is the second such attack in a week, and Radev responded by calling an urgent meeting of the security leadership and summoning the Russian ambassador.
What happened overnight on Tuesday?
The ship Chelsea 3, Ukrainian-owned and sailing under the Maltese flag, was hit by three drones at about 1:30 a.m., roughly 18 nautical miles (33 kilometers) off the Bulgarian coast. According to the BBC, as relayed by N1, this happened off the town of Byala. Radev said the ship was registered in Odesa.
The crew numbered 15, seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, and all were rescued. Five received medical care for minor injuries, and no one was seriously hurt.
The second ship sank 17 nautical miles (31 kilometers) east of the village of Krapets. Its name has not been released, and Radev gave no further details. One sailor was rescued. Sources differ on the fate of the others: N1, citing the BBC and local officials, reports that 11 crew members are listed as missing, while Reuters and Al Jazeera do not mention a number of missing in their reports.
What did Radev say, and how did Moscow respond?
Speaking at a meeting with the country’s top security officials, in a televised address translated by N1, Radev said:
“Another attack on merchant ships in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters is absolutely unacceptable.”
There is no conclusive proof of responsibility by “any party,” the prime minister said, but he added that “logic indicates that the outcome favors the Russian Federation.” He summoned Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova for talks. According to Bulgarian media, she told him that the Russian Defense Ministry has no information about the attacks, and she also raised the possibility of a provocation by a third party. The Russian military has not commented publicly.
Radev took office over the summer, N1 notes, and has since rejected claims that he is “pro-Russian.” Before this attack he had asked NATO and the European Union for technical assistance in investigating the earlier incidents.
How did NATO, Brussels and Kyiv react?
Radev discussed the attacks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. After the call, Rutte wrote on X:
“NATO will continue to work closely with our Allies in the Black Sea. We have already strengthened our presence on the eastern flank and will keep monitoring the security situation, adjusting our deterrence and defense measures as needed.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks on the same platform. Translated from the English original, she wrote:
“The Black Sea has become yet another front in the escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine. This is unacceptable. I condemn in the strongest terms the drone attacks on merchant ships near the Bulgarian coast. They put the lives of the crews in serious danger and threaten security in the Black Sea.”
She added that Brussels stands with Bulgaria, thanks its rescuers for their quick response, and says those responsible must be held to account.
Ukraine directly blamed Russia for the attacks. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that “the latest Russian attack on merchant ships near Bulgarian territorial waters once again shows that Moscow deliberately disregards the lives of civilians and maritime security in the Black Sea.” He then added:
“The Black Sea is vital for global food security. Russia attacks it to weaponize hunger and hold the world hostage. This must be answered decisively.”
What came before this attack?
The previous attack took place on October 6 in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, when two ships were hit by naval and aerial drones. The ship Alfa Vatan sank, and all ten crew members are presumed dead, among them nine Syrians. Al Jazeera reports that the whereabouts of those ten sailors are still unknown.
On the same day, according to N1, Ukraine struck an oil tanker in the Russian Black Sea port of Sochi. Moscow says it targets ships that deliver weapons and dual-use goods to Ukrainian ports, citing last week’s attacks in the ports of Mykolaiv and Chornomorsk as examples. Kyiv and its European allies respond that the targets are merchant ships carrying grain and other civilian cargo. Turkey has called on both countries to stop attacks in the Black Sea, and Moscow has repeatedly rejected calls from the United States and Europe for a maritime ceasefire.
