Syria seeks probe into Black Sea ship sinking, crew missing

Syria has urged the International Maritime Organization and Bulgarian authorities to launch an independent investigation into the sinking of the cargo ship Alfa Watan in the Black Sea, which resulted in the disappearance of its 10 crew members, nine of whom were Syrian.

Mazen Aloush, director for international relations of the Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs, stated on Thursday that the investigation should determine why search and rescue operations were stopped before the crew's fate was confirmed. Bulgaria had announced on Wednesday that it was halting its search for the sailors after finding no trace of them, approximately 70 nautical miles off its coast.

The Alfa Watan was reportedly attacked by a drone early Tuesday within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. The perpetrator of the attack remains unclear. Aloush condemned the targeting of a civilian commercial vessel, calling it a serious violation of maritime safety and a threat to international trade routes. He called for the use of all available technical means to inspect the wreckage and establish the cause of the incident, emphasizing that the case should not be closed until all avenues to determine the crew's fate are exhausted.

Syria also called for strengthened measures by international organizations to protect commercial shipping in the Black Sea, citing growing risks to maritime transport in the region. Russia has previously targeted cargo ships in the Black Sea with drones and missiles during its war with Ukraine. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev suggested that the ship's cargo and direction of travel might point to Russia, but stated there was no direct evidence to attribute responsibility. Russia's embassy in Sofia denied that the merchant vessel was among targets hit by Russian drones.