One merchant ship has sunk and its crew is missing after a drone attack in the Black Sea, Bulgarian officials say, with a second grain-carrying vessel also hit within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.
One merchant ship has sunk and its crew is missing after a drone attack in the Black Sea, Bulgarian officials say.
A second vessel carrying grain was also hit within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. Its 18 crew members were rescued, including two injured in a fire on board. Eleven were Turkish nationals and seven were Indian.
The attacks took place about 70 miles (112 km) off the coastal town of Byala in eastern Bulgaria and involved both air and sea drones. The sunken ship was flying the flag of Togo, Radev said. Its crew size and cargo were not immediately known.
A Bulgarian vessel nearby found only an overturned boat, rafts and life jackets, he said. A search operation has been launched.
Radev condemned the strikes as "a flagrant violation of maritime law" and said: "Such an attack within the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone is absolutely unacceptable."
Moscow has not commented on the latest incident, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of striking a civilian vessel carrying corn. A separate attack near Odesa on Tuesday killed a crew member and injured seven others.
Radev did not say who was behind the attacks, which come as Russia intensifies strikes in the Black Sea as part of its war against Ukraine.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The attacks put the Black Sea conflict on the doorstep of Bulgaria, a NATO member, raising the risk of the war spilling into alliance waters.
- Merchant shipping and grain exports are again in the crossfire, with implications for global food supplies and the safety of civilian crews.
- The sinking of a vessel and the killing of a crew member near Odesa underscore the human cost of attacks on commercial shipping.
Background
Russia's war against Ukraine has turned the Black Sea into an active combat zone, with Moscow repeatedly striking Ukrainian ports and shipping infrastructure. Ukraine is a major grain exporter, and attacks on the vessels that carry its harvest threaten the trade routes that supply world markets. Bulgaria, a NATO member, shares the Black Sea coastline, and its exclusive economic zone is just over 29,000 sq km, roughly 6% of the Black Sea. The latest strikes occurred inside that zone, drawing a sharp response from Sofia.
Key Perspectives
Bulgarian government: Prime Minister Radev has condemned the attacks as a flagrant violation of maritime law and called the strike inside Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone absolutely unacceptable.
Ukraine: President Zelensky has accused Russia of striking a civilian vessel carrying corn, casting the attacks as part of Moscow's broader campaign against shipping.
Critics/Skeptics: Skeptics of Russia's assurances about Black Sea shipping point to the repeated strikes on merchant vessels, including the ship sunk off Byala and the deadly attack near Odesa, as evidence that commercial routes remain in the line of fire.
What to Watch
- Whether the search for the missing crew of the sunken Togo-flagged vessel finds survivors.
- Whether Moscow responds to Bulgaria's condemnation or claims responsibility for the attacks.
- Whether further strikes occur near the Bulgarian, Romanian or Turkish coasts, which would signal an escalation in the Black Sea.