EU condemns Black Sea drone attacks after ship sinks off Bulgaria

One merchant ship has sunk and its crew is missing after a drone attack in the Black Sea, Bulgarian officials said. A second vessel, carrying grain, was also hit within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, but its 18 crew members were rescued. Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the strikes as a "flagrant violation of maritime law" and stated that such an attack within Bulgarian waters was "absolutely unacceptable."

The attacks involved air and sea drones and occurred at approximately 03:00 local time, about 70 miles off the coastal town of Byala in eastern Bulgaria. The sunken ship was flying under the flag of Togo. A search operation has been launched for its crew, whose numbers were not immediately known. The vessel's cargo was also not immediately identified.

Bulgarian sailors rescued the crew of the second ship, which was carrying grain. Among the rescued were 11 Turkish and seven Indian nationals. Two injured crew members were sent for treatment following a fire on board.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that attacks on civilian shipping are unacceptable after civilian ships were hit in Bulgaria's economic zone in the Black Sea. "Commercial ships – and ⁠innocent crews – are being ⁠targeted, with lives ⁠already lost at sea," she said. While the circumstances of the incidents are being investigated, the situation in the Black Sea is increasingly concerning, von der Leyen added.

These attacks come as Russia intensifies strikes in the Black Sea as part of its war against Ukraine. A separate attack near Odesa on Tuesday resulted in one crew member killed and seven injured on a ship flying the Marshall Islands flag.