"A Russian drone!" a Chelsea 3 sailor says as Sofia summons Moscow's envoy

Eleven crew members are missing after a drone attack sank a merchant ship off Bulgaria, prompting its prime minister to summon Russia's ambassador and seek allied support. ^[1][2]

Two commercial vessels were struck overnight on October 13, 2026. One sank about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. The other, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, was hit about 18 nautical miles east of Byala and stayed afloat. ^[2][4]

Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened an emergency security meeting and summoned Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova. He said Bulgaria had no conclusive evidence against either side, but that the outcome of the attacks benefited Russia. Bulgaria, a member of both NATO and the European Union, is asking its allies to help strengthen surveillance of its sea approaches and airspace. ^[1][2][3][4]

All 15 people aboard the Chelsea 3 were rescued. Bulgarian reporting said its crew consisted of seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis. The rescue left the immediate search focused on the missing crew from the ship that went down. ^[2][4]

A Chelsea 3 sailor interviewed by Bulgarian television said, "A drone hit us three times. A Russian drone!" His account concerns the ship that remained afloat, rather than the vessel that sank. ^[6]

The attacks are still under investigation, and the accounts leave several basic facts unsettled. President Iliana Yotova identified the sunken vessel as the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity, while another local account named it Azov Concord. Reports put the number rescued from it at one, at least four, or five.

Injury counts aboard the Chelsea 3 also differ, with Bulgarian reporting giving six and the BBC reporting five minor injuries. None of the accounts establishes who launched the drones. ^{[1][2][3][4][6]}

Sofia presses Moscow and its allies

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of disregarding civilian lives and maritime security. Mitrofanova said she had no information from Russia's defence ministry about the attacks and suggested that a third party could have staged a provocation. Russia's military had not publicly commented at the time of the BBC report. ^[1][2][3]

Radev's decision to summon the ambassador puts the attacks directly into Bulgaria's diplomatic dealings with Moscow. His stated position combines pressure on Russia with an acknowledgement that investigators have yet to establish the drones' origin. ^[2][3]

For Sofia, the practical response reaches beyond that meeting. Radev asked NATO and EU leaders for help improving maritime and airspace surveillance. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance would continue monitoring Black Sea security and adjust its posture as needed. ^[2][4]

Bulgaria is also seeking consultations with Romania and Turkey on safer navigation. Radev said he would raise shipping security at the European Council meeting scheduled for October 15 and 16, bringing the attacks before EU leaders within days of the sinking. ^[3][4]

The location matters. Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone extends beyond its territorial waters, but attacks on ships there still bear directly on access to its ports. The government's response is therefore taking two tracks at once: investigating the strikes and seeking ways to keep commercial vessels moving safely. ^[3][4]

A second sinking in a week

The overnight strikes followed attacks on two commercial ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone on October 6. One of those vessels, the Alfa Watan, sank, and its 10 crew members were presumed dead, according to the BBC. The latest sinking leaves another 11 people missing. ^[1][3]

The wider danger to merchant crews was already evident elsewhere in the Black Sea. The Daily Inference reported on October 7 that Russia said all 23 Indian sailors escaped a burning crude carrier off Sochi.

The two rounds of attacks off Bulgaria, a week apart, are now driving discussion of shipping safety as well as rescue operations. Bulgarian reporting says the government has warned of higher shipping risks and insurance costs, carriers refusing cargo for Bulgarian ports, and potential threats to oil supplies for the Burgas refinery. Those are warnings about the consequences for trade and supplies, rather than a tally of losses already sustained. ^[3][4]

A ship does not have to sink for a port to feel the damage. The government's warnings identify a second route by which these attacks could hurt Bulgaria: vessels declining to carry its cargo. More surveillance and safer-navigation arrangements are intended to address the danger before it produces further disruption. ^[3][4]

The danger reaches working boats

For fishers off Byala, the threatened waters are also their workplace. A fisherman interviewed by Bulgarian National Radio said the strikes occurred in the area where local fishers operate. He also said disruptions to GPS and satellite signals were making navigation difficult. ^[5]

That account brings the security problem down to the level of a boat trying to find its way. Merchant vessels face the risk of being hit, while smaller working boats face reported difficulties navigating the same coastal waters. ^[4][5]

The Chelsea 3 sailor's account captured the immediate fear aboard one of the struck ships: "A drone hit us three times. A Russian drone!" ^[6]

Rescue efforts and the investigation continue. Bulgaria's next scheduled diplomatic step is the European Council meeting on October 15 and 16, where Radev said he would press the issue of shipping security. ^[3][4]