One ship sank and another was hit by drones off the coast of Bulgaria. The attacks are reaching the agenda of EU leaders
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Two commercial vessels were attacked on the night of October 12–13 near the Bulgarian coast. Chelsea-3 was hit, according to the crew, by three aerial drones, and all 15 sailors were rescued. HS Dignity sank after another attack, and Bulgarian authorities confirmed the rescue of five of the 16 crew members. António Costa announced that maritime security in the Black Sea would be discussed at the European Council meeting on October 15–16. Bulgarian authorities say they still have no conclusive evidence regarding who was responsible for the attacks.
Two commercial vessels were attacked in the early hours of October 13 near the Bulgarian coast, just one week after another incident in which two vessels had been hit in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. One of the vessels attacked on Tuesday sank, while the other remained afloat after the entire crew was evacuated. Bulgaria requested support from the European Union and NATO to investigate the incidents and strengthen aerial and maritime surveillance.
The President of the European Council, António Costa, announced that the situation would be discussed by EU leaders at the European Council meeting on October 15 and 16. Bulgarian authorities have not attributed the attacks to any country and say the investigation must establish the origin of the drones.
In brief
1.Chelsea-3, a Maltese-flagged vessel, was attacked at around 01:15, 17 nautical miles east of Byala. All 15 crew members were rescued, and five required medical assistance.
2.HS Dignity, flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau and carrying a crew of 16, was hit approximately five minutes after the first incident and sank 17 nautical miles east of Shabla. Authorities initially confirmed the rescue of five sailors.
3.Chelsea-3 was sailing without cargo from Giresun, Turkey, to Giurgiulești, Republic of Moldova. HS Dignity was also heading without cargo, from Algeria to Brăila, Romania.
4.Bulgaria says it has no conclusive evidence regarding the origin of the drones. Sofia requested technical assistance from the EU and NATO to investigate the series of attacks.
5.Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey are discussing closer coordination for maritime security in the Black Sea, and the issue will reach the EU summit on October 15–16.
The first alarm signal on the night of October 12–13 came from Chelsea-3, a Maltese-flagged commercial vessel. Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport places the incident at 01:15 local time and approximately 17 nautical miles east of the town of Byala. The vessel was sailing without cargo from the Turkish port of Giresun to Giurgiulești, in the Republic of Moldova.
According to information communicated by the Bulgarian government based on the crew’s statements, Chelsea-3 was reportedly hit by three aerial drones on the deck and hull. The vessel remained afloat but had a slight list.
The maritime rescue coordination center in Varna and the Border Police launched the evacuation operation. The Burgas patrol vessel left the port at 02:45 and reached Chelsea-3 in rough seas. By 04:43, the entire crew had been transferred to the Bulgarian vessel, and by 07:15 the sailors had reached shore.
The crew consisted of seven Ukrainian citizens and eight Azerbaijani citizens. Five of the 15 sailors received medical assistance, but Bulgarian authorities did not report any life-threatening injuries.
The second incident occurred almost simultaneously, farther north. HS Dignity, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessel with a crew of 16, was hit by a drone at around 01:20 and sank approximately 17 nautical miles east of Shabla.
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport says the initial information about the sinking came from one of the rescued sailors and coincided with the vessel’s signal disappearing from the automatic identification system. HS Dignity was sailing without cargo from Mostaganem, Algeria, to the Romanian port of Brăila.
The vessels Azov Concord and Scandi Asserter, which were in the area, intervened first and recovered five members of the HS Dignity crew. Bulgarian authorities then deployed Border Police vessels to search for the other sailors.
The two attacks are not isolated incidents. On October 6, two other commercial vessels were hit by drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, approximately 70 nautical miles east of Byala. Bulgarian authorities announced at the time that one of the vessels had sunk and the other had caught fire.
After the first episode, Sofia formally requested technical assistance from the European Union and NATO to investigate the attacks. The request concerns both identifying the origin and type of drones used and Bulgaria’s ability to monitor its maritime and airspace more effectively.
The new incidents on October 13 prompted the convening of an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council attached to the Bulgarian government. Prime Minister Rumen Radev also announced the summoning of the ambassador of the Russian Federation in Sofia, Eleonora Mitrofanova.
The Bulgarian government nevertheless insisted that the investigation does not yet provide a basis for attributing the attacks. Radev said Bulgaria did not have clear and solid evidence allowing it to formulate an accusation against any of the parties. He separately argued that Russia benefits from the attacks, but this political assessment does not constitute a technical conclusion about the origin of the drones.
The distinction is also important at the European level. António Costa linked the European Council’s forthcoming discussion to the deterioration of security in the Black Sea and the intensification of Russian hybrid campaigns. However, his message does not identify the perpetrator of each attack on the vessels and does not replace the technical investigation requested by Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian prime minister spoke separately with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. According to the government in Sofia, both expressed the willingness of the institutions they lead to support clarification of the circumstances and the strengthening of Bulgaria’s surveillance and control capabilities.
The regional dimension is becoming increasingly evident. Radev discussed closer cooperation between Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey on maritime security in the Black Sea with Romania’s prime minister, Ilie Bolojan. The three countries are already involved in cooperation to counter sea mines, and the new attacks introduce an additional threat to commercial shipping.
The destinations of the two vessels hit on October 13 show a direct connection with Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Chelsea-3 was heading to Giurgiulești, the Republic of Moldova’s main maritime port, while HS Dignity was heading to Brăila. Neither vessel was carrying cargo at the time of the attack, according to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Transport.
For Romania, the risk is not limited to the possibility of an incident in its waters. Romanian ports, Danube traffic, and maritime routes to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova are part of the same regional transport network. Repeated attacks near the Bulgarian coast may affect decisions regarding routes, vessel insurance, port operations, and security measures even if there is no direct attack on a Romanian port.
The next political stage is the European Council meeting on October 15–16. Costa confirmed ahead of the meeting that leaders would address the situation, and Bulgaria intends to request support for maritime security and surveillance capabilities.
The main question remains open: who launched the drones and from where. Until verifiable technical conclusions emerge, the series of incidents can be described as an escalation of risks to commercial shipping in the Black Sea, without factually attributing the attacks to any party on the basis of political statements.
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