Two merchant vessels were struck in separate incidents in the Black Sea off Bulgaria overnight on 12–13 October, leaving one cargo ship sunk, at least five seafarers injured and 11 crew members missing. The incidents are raising further concerns about the expansion of maritime security risks towards the western Black Sea.
According to Vanguard Tech, the Malta-flagged general cargo vessel Chelsea-3, which is Ukrainian-owned and managed, was hit by three aerial drones during the night. The ship sent a distress signal at 01:15 after sustaining damage to its deck and side approximately 18 nautical miles east of Byala, Bulgaria.
After receiving reports that the vessel was listing and several crew members had been injured, Bulgaria’s Border Police launched a rescue operation at 02:45. The entire crew was brought aboard a Border Police vessel by 04:43 and taken ashore at 07:15. Five seafarers received treatment for minor injuries.
Footage released by the authorities showed rescuers navigating rough seas while climbing across the damaged deck and moving through the vessel’s damaged bridge.
As the Chelsea-3 crew was being brought ashore, Bulgaria’s Border Police received another report concerning two merchant vessels that had picked up five people in distress at sea. The incident occurred approximately 13 nautical miles east of Cape Shabla and involved members of the 16-person crew of a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship sailing from Algeria to Romania. Border Police vessels were subsequently dispatched to the area.
According to Vanguard, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged vessel sank following a suspected drone attack. Maritime intelligence firm Ambrey reported that three merchant vessels supported the subsequent search-and-rescue operation, during which one crew member was initially reported rescued.
The latest official accounts confirm that five crew members from the sunken vessel have been rescued, while 11 remain missing.
These incidents add to a growing pattern of attacks extending westward across the Black Sea and into the exclusive economic zones of Romania and Bulgaria, raising fresh questions about the security of commercial shipping in the region.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the attacks as absolutely unacceptable. Viewing the strikes as actions that benefit Russia, he summoned the Russian ambassador to explain the incidents within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone.
Further east, Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed to have struck a dry cargo vessel delivering military and dual-use goods to the port of Nikolayev, in the Bug Estuary. Vanguard noted that the Russian claims remain unverified. The identity of the vessel, the status of its crew and the extent of any potential damage have not been established.
Ukrainian authorities, however, confirmed that a cargo terminal in Mykolaiv was damaged during overnight strikes. The incident formed part of a broader campaign of Russian unmanned aerial vehicle attacks targeting logistics centres and railway infrastructure.
Vanguard stressed that the confirmed damage to the cargo terminal does not, on its own, substantiate Russia’s claim that a merchant vessel was struck.
With commercial ships increasingly exposed to suspected drone attacks across the Black Sea, the latest incidents underline the growing risks facing seafarers and maritime supply chains as the security situation extends towards the Bulgarian and Romanian coastlines.
