Black Sea ships off Bulgaria hit; 11 missing, official says

Eleven people are missing after two merchant ships were struck off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast on Tuesday, a regional spokeswoman said, citing preliminary rescue centre information.

Rumen Radev said the Ukrainian-owned cargo ship Chelsea 3 was hit by three aerial drones and that another ship was struck shortly afterward and sank. The Bulgarian presidency identified the sunken vessel as the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity and said it went down 17 nautical miles east of Krapets.

A spokeswoman for the northeastern region of Dobrich said five people were rescued from the HS Dignity and 11 were missing. Bulgaria's interior ministry said the ship was travelling from Algeria to the Romanian port of Braila with a crew of Syrian and Egyptian nationals.

Radev said all 15 crew members aboard the Chelsea 3, seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, were rescued. The interior ministry said that ship was hit 16 nautical miles east of Byala.

Radev summoned the Russian ambassador. He said Bulgaria lacked clear evidence to accuse a specific party, but said the result appeared to benefit Russia. Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said it would be illogical for Ukraine to strike its own ships and said Bulgaria assumed the drones were Russian.

NATO chief Mark Rutte said the alliance would keep monitoring security and adjust its deterrence and defence posture as needed. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga blamed Russia.

Black Sea shipping has faced growing fallout from the Ukraine-Russia war. Maritime risk management group Ambrey said last month that at least 45 merchant vessels had been attacked over the previous 12 months in areas not previously listed as high risk.