Crews rescued after two vessels were struck, as Bulgaria demands answers and Ukraine blames Russia.
Two ships were struck off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast early Tuesday, with one sinking, in another attack on civilian shipping close to the shores of an EU and NATO member.
The incidents put the safety of crews and commercial routes back in focus just a week after similar attacks in the area.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the Ukrainian-owned, Malta-flagged Chelsea 3 was hit by three aerial drones. All 15 crew members, seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, were rescued. Five received medical assistance, but none was seriously injured, Reuters reported.
One crew member was rescued from the second vessel, which sank. Details about that ship and the other people aboard were not immediately available
Russia blamed, but responsibility remains unproven
Radev said Bulgaria lacked clear evidence identifying who carried out the attacks, while arguing that their outcome benefited Russia. He said he would summon the Russian ambassador.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha directly accused Moscow, saying the attacks endangered civilian lives and a shipping route crucial to global food supplies.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the incidents, describing the Black Sea as another front in the escalation of Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to Euronews.
The distinction matters: Ukraine has blamed Russia, but Bulgaria has not established responsibility.
Close to EU shores
The location makes this a serious European security story. It does not, however, establish that drones struck inside Bulgarian territorial waters.
Reuters placed the Chelsea 3 around 18 nautical miles off the coast and reported Radev describing the attack as occurring near Bulgaria’s territorial waters. “Off Bulgaria” should therefore not be read as confirmation of an attack on EU territory.
That does little to lessen the danger for merchant crews navigating the area. Euronews reported similar incidents off Bulgaria on Oct. 6, when one ship sank and another was damaged. A Turkish-owned vessel carrying Ukrainian grain also sank following a reported drone attack off Romania earlier this month, killing two people.
Why it matters here
For Cyprus, an island that depends on goods arriving by sea, the concern is easy to understand. Attacks on commercial vessels threaten crews first, but can also force shipping companies to reconsider routes and expose cargo deliveries to delays and higher costs. These incidents alone do not establish any increase in prices here.
The attacks also test Europe’s efforts to protect the Black Sea’s shipping lanes and infrastructure.
An EU strategy launched in May 2025 proposed a maritime security hub to improve threat detection, information sharing and coast guard cooperation, while helping protect offshore installations and undersea cables.
Tuesday’s rescues underline the immediate challenge: keeping civilian crews safe on routes that remain essential to trade despite the war.
*Based on reporting by Euronews, with additional information from Reuters and the European Commission.
