Damaged Cargo Ship Drifts Into Bulgaria’s Black Sea Zone as Regional Security Talks Begin

Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said Bulgaria would propose a joint security coordination mechanism with Romania and Turkey to respond more quickly to threats in the Black Sea, as the disabled cargo ship Khoryv drifted into Bulgaria’s maritime zone following a drone attack off the Romanian coast.

Speaking before a trilateral meeting in Sofia with his Turkish and Romanian counterparts, Stoyanov said the three countries needed a common approach to protecting navigation and responding to further incidents involving commercial vessels. He said Bulgaria had prepared political proposals and military measures for discussion, with the aim of agreeing on a joint position.

The meeting brings together Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov; Romanian Defense Minister Ștefan-Radu Oprea and Deputy Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Dragoș-Dumitru Iacob; and Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and Chief of Defense General Selçuk Bayraktaroğlu, along with their delegations.

Stoyanov thanked his counterparts for accepting his invitation and said the talks had been prompted by attacks on commercial vessels in exclusive economic zones, territorial waters and nearby areas.

He said the three countries should establish a coordination mechanism to make decisions faster when maritime security is threatened, adding that such cooperation would serve the interests of all three NATO members and help protect freedom of navigation.

“The risks are growing with each passing day, and we must respond adequately - the three nations together. We need to address every situation in a way that ensures freedom of navigation. We must not allow lines of communication to be severed. That is our goal,” Stoyanov said.

He expressed hope that the talks would lead to sustained cooperation rather than remain a one-time initiative, saying further meetings would be useful to develop a joint response mechanism.

Stoyanov said the discussions focused on political statements and military measures, not on a memorandum directed at Russia or another country. Responding to a question from BNT about plans to increase naval deployments in exclusive economic zones despite legal constraints, he said Bulgaria did not exercise sovereignty in its exclusive economic zone.

He declined to reveal the military proposals before they had been agreed upon by all three countries. Regarding the investigation into the attacks on commercial vessels, he said only the competent investigative authorities could disclose established findings.

The meeting coincided with the entry of the damaged cargo ship Khoryv into Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The vessel was attacked by a kamikaze naval drone off Constanța on October 23 and is now partially submerged and drifting southward without a crew or navigation lights.

The incident was first reported at around 9 p.m. when the vessel was spotted 13 nautical miles east of Cape Sivri Burun, the northernmost point of Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. The Ministry of Transport and Communications issued a navigational warning, advising other vessels to keep a distance of at least five cables, or approximately 0.5 nautical miles, and exercise heightened caution.

Bulgarian authorities are tracking the ship in real time and are preparing further measures. A naval vessel may be sent to its location, while drones will also be used for surveillance. Bulgarian authorities had begun preparing for a possible intervention on Tuesday, when the ship was about five to six nautical miles from the boundary between the Bulgarian and Romanian exclusive economic zones.

Forecasts of stronger northerly and northeasterly winds in the coming days have added to concerns about the vessel’s movement.

The Khoryv, which sails under the flag of the Comoros, caught fire after the attack and sent a distress signal. There were 13 people on board, including 10 Ukrainian and three Azerbaijani citizens. Nine sailors were rescued, one was killed and three remain missing. Bulgarian sailors aboard the vessel Sartor took part in the rescue operation.

The cargo ship can carry ore, coal and petroleum products, raising concerns about possible marine pollution if fuel or cargo leaks into the sea. However, no environmental incident has been confirmed, and it remains unclear what the vessel was carrying when it was attacked.

The incident is part of a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the western Black Sea during October. Other ships affected include Alfa Watan, Able, Chelsea-3 and HS Dignity. The Alfa Watan and Able were struck inside Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone on October 6, 2026, at around 3 a.m. Bulgarian authorities have not established the origin of the drones involved in those attacks.

The Bulgarian Navy has increased surveillance of maritime areas where commercial vessels were targeted, including with unmanned aerial vehicles, Nova TV and BGNES reported. NATO also announced last week that additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones would be deployed to the Black Sea following the attacks, which were linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine, Reuters reported. At least five cargo ships have been struck near the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts over the past 10 days, with at least 23 sailors reported dead or missing.

Stoyanov said the Council of Ministers was expected to decide on two memoranda. One concerns Bulgaria’s participation in an initiative to counter low-altitude threats, particularly drones, while the other covers the purchase of MICA anti-aircraft missiles for Bulgarian patrol vessels.

“At the Ministry of Defense, we continue working on the modernization of the Bulgarian Armed Forces and, consequently, on joining projects that are appropriate for addressing modern-day threats,” Stoyanov said.

The minister’s announcement comes after Prime Minister Rumen Radev told the National Assembly in mid-October that Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey were working to improve coordination and interoperability in surveillance, situational awareness and rapid responses to incidents in the Black Sea. Radev said the three countries already had an operational communication channel through their Multinational Mine Countermeasures Group.

Earlier this month, Stoyanov held telephone conversations with his Romanian and Turkish counterparts, and he later said the priority was to develop a common strategy for action in the Black Sea region.

Former Deputy Foreign Minister Milen Keremedchiev and journalist Mohamed Khalaf, speaking on NOVA NEWS, argued that the trilateral meeting should result in concrete steps rather than political declarations.

Keremedchiev said the meeting was overdue because Romania and Turkey had already taken independent measures to address regional risks. He argued that Romania had a substantial advantage over Bulgaria in maritime and territorial defense capabilities and said Bulgaria was behind in developing a collective Black Sea security framework.

Keremedchiev also referred to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin about potentially establishing safe shipping corridors. On the investigation into the drones used in attacks on commercial vessels, he said the lack of an official conclusion did not necessarily mean it was taking too long. Citing an investigation in Germany that lasted 28 days, he noted that Bulgaria was on the 22nd day of its inquiry.

Khalaf took a more critical view, saying Russia was behind the attacks despite the lack of a publicly announced finding from the official investigation. He called for Bulgarian authorities to state clearly what action they intended to take.

Keremedchiev also called for the three NATO members to agree on a common position, arguing that concrete action required identifying the specific threat first.

The two commentators also discussed protests in several European countries. Khalaf said Russia was seeking to destabilize Europe through military action and influence over domestic political processes, while Keremedchiev noted that economic difficulties were also contributing to public discontent.