Original Coverage & Source Attribution: shippingtelegraph.com
Two commercial vessels were hit by drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, with one ship sinking and the entire crew of another evacuated, Bulgarian prime minister Rumen Radev said on October 13.
Radev said a Ukrainian-owned ship was “hit by three aerial drones”, and shortly afterwards another ship was hit and sank.
“We lack solid, clear evidence to bring charges against either side, but logic indicates that the result is in favour of the Russian Federation,” he stressed.
Radev identified the first vessel as a Maltese-flagged ship and said all 15 crew members – seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis – had been rescued.
The Maltese-flagged ship was attacked roughly 18 nautical miles east of Byala. The crew of the ship was transported to the port of Varna, and 5 of the crew members were provided with medical assistance.
He said a second vessel was “struck”, and one crew member had been rescued, but he gave no further details of the incident. The ship was attacked about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets and sank. The crew’s status wasn’t immediately clear.
Bulgaria’s PM Radev slammed the attacks as “unacceptable.”
Radev said he was due to speak with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and had summoned Russia’s ambassador to Bulgaria “for a conversation”.
He said: “Bulgaria continues to seek support for an investigation into the attacks to determine the country of origin of the drones.
“We are also seeking assistance to strengthen surveillance of the air and maritime domains and enhance our response capabilities.”
During the meeting, the prime minister stressed that the country does not have definite evidence of the origin of the drones used in the attacks, but it makes no sense for Ukraine to destroy its own ships.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha blamed Russia for the strikes and slammed what he called Moscow’s “deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea.”
He said: “The Black Sea is a lifeline for global food security. Russia is attacking it to weaponize hunger and hold the world hostage.”
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the Black Sea “has become another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine”.
She condemned the strikes as “unacceptable”, adding: “I strongly condemn the drone attacks on merchant ships near Bulgaria’s coast. Putting the lives of the crew in grave danger and threatening security in the Black Sea. We stand with Bulgaria and thank its rescuers for their swift response. Those responsible should be held accountable.”
In telephone conversations on Tuesday with Ursula von der Leyen and Mark Rutte, prime minister Radev called for joint efforts to stop attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea.
The EU and NATO leaders expressed appreciation for Bulgaria’s quick response to the rescue of the seafarers in distress, as well as solidarity on the occasion of the attacks on merchant ships near Bulgarian territorial waters and readiness to provide allied support in clarifying the circumstances related to these incidents.
The prime minister reiterated the issue of providing support for strengthening Bulgaria’s capabilities to monitor and control the Bulgarian sea and airspace.
Radev pointed out that he would initiate talks with Romania and Turkey to come up with joint proposals to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. This topic will be raised by the Bulgarian prime minister at the upcoming meeting of the European Council on October 15 and 16.
Bulgaria’s PM said the attacks in the Black Sea have already led to an increase in the risk for commercial shipping, to an increase in insurance prices and even to a refusal to transport cargo to Bulgarian ports.
Radev had a telephone conversation with Romanian counterpart Ilie Bolojan in connection with the attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea.
In the course of the conversation, the need for even closer interaction at the trilateral level between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey in the interests of ensuring security in the region and safe navigation was emphasized.
