Black Sea Drone Attack Sinks Ship; Bulgaria Summons Russian Ambassador
A merchant ship sank and a second vessel was damaged in drone attacks off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. Bulgaria says five crew members were rescued from the sunken ship and 11 remain missing; the cause and responsibility are under investigation.
Developing story — this page will be updated as information becomes available.
A merchant vessel sank and a second ship was damaged in separate drone attacks in the Black Sea off Bulgaria’s coast on Tuesday. Bulgaria’s government said it had no clear evidence to attribute the attacks to a country, and that Prime Minister Rumen Radev summoned Russia’s ambassador for a discussion. The Associated Press reported that the sunken ship was the Guinea-Bissau-flagged Dignity.
What We Know
Two ships were struck in separate attacks. The Ukrainian-owned, Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3 was damaged by three drones, Bulgaria’s government said; all 15 crew members were rescued, and five received medical care. The other ship, the Dignity, sank. The Associated Press reported that five crew members were rescued and the search for 11 others continued.
Bulgaria’s prime minister summoned Russia’s ambassador for a discussion, while the government said it had no clear evidence to attribute the strikes to any country and was seeking support to investigate. Bulgaria is a NATO member state. The Russian ambassador said she had no information from Russia’s defense ministry about the attacks and suggested a third party could be responsible, according to the Associated Press.
The strike comes amid continued Russia-Ukraine fighting. Despite an announced partial energy ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported this week that Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have continued. U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly insisted the ceasefire was holding, contradicting Zelensky’s account, as previously reported.
What We Don’t Know
The identities of the remaining 11 crew members and their condition were not confirmed in the reports available at publication. The type of drone system used and who launched the attacks remain under investigation. This story is developing.
Context
The Black Sea has been a contested maritime zone since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Commercial shipping in the region has faced sustained risk from naval mines, drone boats, and missile fire. Bulgaria said the attacks occurred near its territorial waters and requested help investigating and strengthening maritime and airspace monitoring.
The incident comes amid continued Russia-Ukraine fighting. For the evolving record on reported energy strikes following the ceasefire announcement, see: Russia and Ukraine Trade Energy Strikes Under Disputed Ceasefire and Zelensky: Russia Hit Six Energy Sites Since Ceasefire Claim.
What to Watch
- Whether Bulgaria requests additional NATO or EU support for the investigation and maritime monitoring.
- Any findings that identify the drone systems or establish responsibility for the attacks.
- Any further drone strikes on merchant vessels in the same Black Sea corridor, which would indicate a deliberate campaign against commercial shipping rather than a single errant strike.
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