Bulgaria has terminated its search for the missing crew members of a ship struck by a drone approximately 70 nautical miles off its coast. The vessel subsequently sank, and all 12 individuals believed to have been aboard, identified as Syrian nationals, remain unaccounted for.
The incident occurred early Tuesday when two ships were targeted by a drone attack within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. While the crew of one damaged vessel were successfully rescued, the crew of the sunken ship could not be located. Maritime Administration Executive Agency Vice-Admiral Rumen Nikolov stated that the rescue operation would not be resumed, citing a lack of any traces of the sailors or information regarding drone wreckage. Search teams did, however, recover a boat, three life rafts, and components of the ship's equipment.
The perpetrator of the drone attack, which involved both air and sea drones in waters near the eastern Bulgarian town of Byala, remains unidentified. However, concerns are escalating regarding potential hybrid attacks orchestrated by Russia amid its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev indicated that the nature of the cargo and the ships' trajectory suggested Russian involvement, but stressed the absence of concrete evidence to confirm this assertion.
The Russian embassy in Sofia issued a statement asserting that the merchant vessel was not a target of Russian drones on Tuesday. Vice-Admiral Nikolov clarified that the incident took place within a designated "responsible search and rescue zone" rather than Bulgaria's territorial waters.
In response to the escalating security concerns, President Iliana Iotova announced that Bulgaria will initiate consultations with neighboring Black Sea countries, Turkey and Romania, to enhance the safety of merchant shipping in the region. Bulgaria may also petition its NATO allies for additional air and maritime surveillance capabilities, as well as counter-drone systems, to bolster its coastal defense infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that an investigation conducted jointly with the Bulgarian navy had concluded that Russia was responsible for the attack. Prime Minister Radev, however, denied any joint investigation with Ukraine and confirmed that Bulgaria's government would approve the acquisition of five additional surface-to-air missile systems following the incident.
