Bulgaria summons Russian ambassador following drone attack on Ukrainian ship near Bulgarian coast
At the same time, Sofia acknowledges that it currently lacks conclusive evidence to determine who stands behind the attack.
The head of the Bulgarian government stated that the Chelsea 3 sent a distress signal at 1:30 a.m. At that time, the ship was located 18 nautical miles east of the town of Byala—approximately 33 kilometers off the coast.
Three aerial drones attacked the Maltese cargo ship Chelsea 3. According to statements from the sailors, the drones struck the vessel's deck and side.
The Chelsea 3 sailed under the flag of Malta, was registered in Odesa, and belonged to Ukraine. Seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijani citizens were on board.
Rescuers delivered all 15 crew members to the port of Varna, with five of them requiring medical treatment.
Radev called the attack near Bulgarian territorial waters completely unacceptable. Bulgarian authorities have already briefed their permanent representatives to NATO and the European Union and are seeking international support for an investigation. Its goal is to determine where the drones originated.
At the same time, the Bulgarian Prime Minister emphasized that the investigation currently lacks clear and convincing evidence of any party's involvement. Despite this, Radev believes Russia benefits from the consequences of the attack, which is why he invited the Russian ambassador to a meeting scheduled for today.
At an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council under Bulgaria's Council of Ministers, officials also reviewed another maritime incident. According to Radev, a vessel located 17 nautical miles east of Krapets collided with another object and sank. Rescuers managed to save one crew member.
Background
As Rubryka reported, drones attacked two commercial ships in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgaria on October 6. One of the vessels sank, killing two crew members.
According to information from Bulgarian and Romanian authorities, drones attacked commercial ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea—the Togo-flagged general cargo vessel ALFA WATAN and the Palau-flagged general cargo vessel ABLE.
The vessel ALFA WATAN sank. Romania's Ministry of Internal Affairs reported two dead and 11 rescued crew members. On the other vessel, rescuers saved all 18 crew members, who were picked up by a passenger ferry.
It is worth noting that Bulgarian Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov then stated that it was impossible to say whether the drones that struck the two ships were Ukrainian or Russian. According to him, this was not an accident, but a targeted attack. He also noted that Bulgaria could have become part of what he called "a hybrid war between Ukraine and Russia."
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13 of October 2026
