Drones struck two merchant ships off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast in the early hours of Tuesday, sinking one of them and leaving 11 sailors missing. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev called the attack "unacceptable" and summoned the Russian ambassador, as fears grow that the Russia-Ukraine war is spilling into the waters of a NATO member.
The strikes hit the Ukrainian-owned cargo ship Chelsea 3 and the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity within a short span of each other. Search and rescue teams were still looking for the missing crew on Wednesday.
What happened off the Bulgarian coast
According to Radev, the Chelsea 3, which sails under the Maltese flag, was hit by three aerial drones at around 1:30 am, about 18 nautical miles east of the Bulgarian town of Byala. The vessel was damaged but stayed afloat. All 15 people on board, seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, were rescued and taken to the port of Varna. Five of them needed medical help, but none was seriously hurt.
Shortly afterwards, the HS Dignity, a cargo ship heading for the Romanian port of Braila, was struck and sank about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, a village near the Romanian border. A spokesperson for Bulgaria's Dobrich region said, based on preliminary information, that five crew members were rescued and 11 are missing. Reports said those still missing include nine Syrians and one Egyptian.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date of attack | Tuesday, October 13, 2026 |
| Ship 1 | Chelsea 3 (Ukrainian-owned, Maltese flag) |
| Chelsea 3 location | About 18 nautical miles east of Byala |
| Chelsea 3 crew | 15 rescued (7 Ukrainians, 8 Azerbaijanis) |
| Ship 2 | HS Dignity (Guinea-Bissau flag), sank |
| HS Dignity location | About 17 nautical miles east of Krapets |
| HS Dignity crew | 5 rescued, 11 missing |
| Bulgaria's response | Russian ambassador summoned |
Who is behind the strikes?
Radev said there was no solid evidence pointing to any specific party, but added that the outcome appears to benefit Russia. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the ship was hit by Russian drones, and Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga accused Moscow of deliberately endangering civilian lives and maritime security. Writing on X, Sybiga described the Black Sea as a lifeline for global food security. Russia has not been officially confirmed as the attacker by any other government.
Europe and NATO react
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks, saying the Black Sea has become another front of escalation in the war and that those responsible must be held accountable. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance has already strengthened its posture on its eastern flank and will adjust its deterrence and defence as needed.
A worrying pattern in the Black Sea
Tuesday's incident is not isolated. Just last week, two commercial vessels were hit off the same stretch of Bulgarian coast. A day before the latest strikes, a separate ship caught fire and sank off Romania, killing one person. Maritime risk firm Ambrey has said at least 45 merchant ships were attacked in the past 12 months in parts of the eastern Black Sea that had seen no strikes the year before, as attacks move further away from the Russian and Ukrainian coastlines.
Bulgaria, which joined NATO in 2004, sits at a key point on the Black Sea where both Russia and Ukraine run vital ports. Attacks so close to its territorial waters raise uncomfortable questions for the alliance about how to protect civilian shipping without being drawn directly into the conflict.
Why it matters for India
The Black Sea is a major route for grain, sunflower oil and fertilisers, all of which India imports in large quantities. Any sustained disruption can push up freight and insurance costs and, eventually, prices at home. Indian seafarers also make up a large share of the world's merchant crews, which is why every such attack is closely tracked in India. There has been no report of Indian crew on either of the ships hit on Tuesday.
The incident comes amid a wider rise in attacks on commercial shipping, including recent drone strikes on tankers in the Gulf region that involved Indian sailors.
What happens next
Bulgarian authorities are continuing the search for the 11 missing sailors from the HS Dignity, and an investigation into the drone strikes is under way. Sofia's diplomatic protest to Moscow and NATO's response will be watched closely in the coming days, especially if more ships are targeted near alliance waters.
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