The Black Sea just ate another merchant ship. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said two vessels were hit in drone attacks off Bulgaria’s coast early Tuesday, with one of them sinking, Al Jazeera reported (AP/Reuters).
The Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3, sailing under a Maltese flag, was hit by three drones and damaged about 18 nautical miles (33 km) off Bulgaria at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday (22:30 GMT Monday), Radev said. Its 15-man crew — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — was rescued. Five got medical help; none were seriously hurt. One crew member from the ship that sank was also rescued.
Radev called the strike “absolutely unacceptable” and an attack “in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters.” He said there was no clear proof who launched the drones, but “the outcome benefits” Russia — and that Bulgaria’s Russian ambassador would be summoned.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the hits on X, calling the Black Sea “another front of escalation” and thanking Bulgarian rescuers. NATO chief Mark Rutte said the alliance would keep monitoring and adjust its eastern-flank posture “as needed.”
This is not a one-off. Last week drones hit two ships off the same coast; one sank, and all 10 crew from that vessel remain unaccounted for. Bulgaria sits on NATO’s Black Sea rim — and the hybrid war is parking on its doorstep.
Sources: Al Jazeera (AP/Reuters) — Drone attack sinks ship off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast (Oct. 13, 2026)
Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration by Bugle Blast.
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