At 1:30 a.m., Bulgarian authorities received a distress call from the Chelsea 3, a vessel registered in Odessa but flying the Maltese flag. The vessel was hit by three airborne drones, according to Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev. The crew has been rescued and is receiving medical treatment for minor injuries.
“Benefits Russia”
Radev confirmed that the second ship attacked had sunk. Eleven people are missing, a spokesman for the Dobrich region told AFP.
Five people have been rescued and eleven are missing, according to preliminary information, the spokesman told AFP.
According to Radev, there is a lack of "clear and conclusive evidence" regarding responsibility, but on Tuesday he summoned the Russian ambassador to the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, for a meeting.
"Logic suggests that the outcome favors the Russian Federation," Radev wrote on X.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the incident.
“The Black Sea has become another front in the escalation of Russia's war in Ukraine,” she wrote on X.
NATO: "We will adapt"
Last week, two other ships were attacked in the Black Sea, one of which sank. Just a day earlier, two people died when a Turkish ship was attacked by drones in the Black Sea, near the coast of NATO member Romania. It is still unclear who was behind the attacks.
After speaking with Bulgaria's prime minister on Tuesday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the defense alliance must "adapt."
"We have already strengthened our position along the eastern flank and will continue to monitor the security situation, as well as adapt our deterrence and defense posture as needed," Rutte wrote on X.
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