Drone Attacks Hit Two Ships off Bulgaria’s Coast, Sending One Vessel to the Bottom

SOFIA — Regional maritime safety concerns escalated sharply after two commercial ships were struck by drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, leaving one vessel sunk and forcing the rescue of dozens of crew members. The strikes mark a dangerous widening of maritime incidents near NATO territorial waters.

According to official statements by Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, the targeted attacks took place during the early morning hours inside Bulgaria's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Black Sea.

One of the vessels, the Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3 operating under a Maltese flag, came under heavy bombardment approximately 18 nautical miles (33 km) off the Bulgarian coastline around 1:30 AM. The ship sustained critical structural damage from multiple drone strikes and subsequently sank at the scene. A second commercial cargo vessel was also hit during the coordinated strike, suffering severe damage and onboard fires.

Emergency response efforts were immediately launched by Bulgarian maritime rescue services and local vessels in the area. All 15 crew members aboard the Chelsea 3—comprising seven Ukrainian and eight Azerbaijani nationals—were safely pulled from the water, with five sailors receiving emergency medical treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. Meanwhile, crew members from the second damaged vessel were successfully evacuated as emergency teams worked to contain the onboard blazes.

"This is an absolutely unacceptable attack in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters," Prime Minister Rumen Radev declared in a televised national address, adding that he planned to consult urgently with NATO leadership regarding the security breach.

The attacks mark a significant escalation in hybrid threats to commercial shipping routes across the Black Sea, an essential economic corridor for international food and commodity exports. While authorities have not officially identified the exact origin of the drones, Bulgarian officials noted that the outcome directly impacts regional maritime stability.

Bulgarian naval assets and environmental monitoring units remain deployed along the coast to monitor for hazardous oil spills and potential floating wreckage resulting from the sunken cargo ship.