Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev summons the Russian ambassador after two merchant ships hit in Black Sea amid growing fallout from the Ukraine-Russia war.

SOFIA: Eleven sailors were missing at sea on Tuesday (Oct 13) from a ship sunk by a drone attack off the coast of Bulgaria, the second deadly sinking of a cargo vessel in the area in a week, prompting Bulgaria to summon Russia's ambassador.Two cargo ships were hit by drones overnight and one was sunk, Bulgari

SOFIA: Eleven sailors were missing at sea on Tuesday (Oct 13) from a ship sunk by a drone attack off the coast of Bulgaria, the second deadly sinking of a cargo vessel in the area in a week, prompting Bulgaria to summon Russia's ambassador.Two cargo ships were hit by drones overnight and one was sunk, Bulgari

Bulgaria PM Rumen Radev says a drone strike sank the Ukrainian-owned ship "Chelsea 3" off the Black Sea coast, the second such incident in a week.

Eleven sailors are missing after drone strikes hit two cargo ships near Bulgaria’s coast. The Turkish-owned Azov Concord sank, while the Ukrainian-owned Chelsea 3 was struck by three drones.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has assured Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev that the Alliance will continue monitoring security in the Black Sea and adjust its deterrence and defense measures as needed following attacks on commercial ships near Bulgaria. “I spoke with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev about the recent attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

Bulgaria has seen the second spate of drone attacks on merchant ships off its coast in the past week. Russia has been accused of repeatedly targeting civilian cargo ships in the area.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned drone attacks on two commercial ships near Bulgaria’s territorial waters, while Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova called the strikes unacceptable and said those responsible must be held accountable. “The Black Sea has become yet another front of escalation in Russia's war in Ukraine.

Drone strikes sank a cargo ship and hit another in the Black Sea off Bulgaria on Tuesday, the latest in a string of attacks on commercial vessels that has Bulgaria seeking NATO and EU help.

Bulgaria will deploy two additional unmanned systems and strengthen monitoring of the Black Sea as attacks on commercial vessels bring the conflict closer to its territorial waters, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told journalists at the National Assembly. “Escalation is already underway and continues to rise.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev met with Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova at the Council of Ministers on Tuesday to discuss drone attacks on two commercial vessels near Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, saying that although the drones’ origin had not been conclusively established, the outcome of the strikes benefited Russia. The meeting followed an extraordinary statement by Radev and an emergency gathering of the security services over the attacks on the CHELSEA 3 and another vessel reported to have sunk near Krapets.

Drones struck two ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria on Tuesday, sinking one and prompting emergency rescue operations, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.

The latest strikes on commercial vessels in the Black Sea occurred in Bulgaria’s contiguous zone, closer to its territorial waters than last week’s attacks, which took place farther out in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The two vessels were hit overnight, exactly one week after the ALFA WATAN and ABLE came under attack.

Two merchant ships were struck by drones in separate incidents in the Black Sea near Bulgaria, with one vessel sinking east of Krapets and another surviving an attack east of Byala, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said, announcing plans to speak with Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. During an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council at the Council of Ministers, Radev reported that the Maltese-flagged cargo ship CHELSEA 3 had been hit by three aerial drones about 18 nautical miles east of Byala.

Two ships were struck by aerial drones near Bulgaria’s maritime border in separate overnight incidents in the Black Sea, with one vessel sinking and four crew members from the sunken ship later reported rescued, according to information provided by Bulgarian authorities. The attacks linked to the war between Russia and Ukraine are taking place increasingly close to Bulgaria’s maritime boundary.