Drones hit two merchant ships in Bulgaria's Black Sea zone; one sinks, Zelensky blames Russia

Two merchant ships, the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan and the Palau-flagged Able, were hit by drones about 112 kilometres (70 miles) off Bulgaria’s coast on Tuesday, 6 October, Bulgarian broadcaster Nova reported, according to The Kyiv Independent. It is believed to be the first reported drone attack on commercial shipping inside Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone.

The ships

The Togo-flagged vessel suffered severe structural damage and sank; the fate of its crew was unknown and the search for survivors was continuing, with life jackets spotted near the ship but no people found, Nova reported. The second vessel caught fire, and all 18 crew members — Indian and Turkish nationals — were rescued by a Bulgarian ferry; two were seriously injured.

Who is responsible

Nova initially described the drones as being of unknown origin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had not operated in that part of the Black Sea and that, after checking details with Bulgaria, Kyiv concluded it was a combined Russian attack using sea and air drones. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened an emergency meeting of state institutions, calling the attacks a “gross violation of international law” and warning that they raise risks and insurance costs for Black Sea shipping.

Another ship hit near Ukraine

Separately, a Russian drone struck a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship carrying rapeseed oil, killing a steward and injuring seven crew members, Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper said. Russia’s Defence Ministry said its drones had hit targets in the Odesa region, including a bulk carrier in the port of Chornomorsk that it said was carrying dual-use goods, AP reported. The attacks came a day after the grain ship Royad Mammadov sank off Romania following a drone strike.