Bulgaria has stopped the search operation for the crew of a ship that sank approximately 70 nautical miles (130 kilometers) from the country's shores after being struck by a drone. This announcement was made by Admiral Rumen Nikolov, head of the Executive Agency for Maritime Administration of Bulgaria.
Details of the Incident in the Black Sea
On Tuesday morning, two ships were targeted in the exclusive economic zone of the Black Sea off Bulgaria by a drone attack. One of the ships sank, and the other was damaged. While the crew of the damaged ship was rescued, the fate of 12 crew members from the sunken ship, all of whom were from Syria, remains unknown.
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Admiral Nikolov stated that there are no signs of the sailors from the sunken ship, and he believes that no traces of the drone wreckage have been found either. He added: "We have found one boat, three life rafts, and pieces of ship equipment."
Concerns Over Hybrid Attacks and Bulgaria's Government Response
This incident comes amid rising concerns about hybrid attacks from Russia in the ongoing war in Ukraine. Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated after a meeting of Bulgaria's National Security Council: "If we look at the nature of the cargo and the route the ships were taking, it logically concludes that this attack benefits Russia." However, he emphasized that without evidence, it cannot be claimed that this attack was carried out by Russia.
The Russian embassy in Sofia stated in a statement that the commercial ship in question was not among the targets of the Russian drone attacks on Tuesday.
Admiral Nikolov further clarified that this incident occurred in a "search and rescue responsibility area" and not in Bulgaria's territorial waters, which extend up to 12 nautical miles from the coast.
In a separate incident, Romanian officials reported that two people died in a fire on a ship in the Black Sea, outside the territorial waters of their country.
Bulgaria's Invitation to Black Sea Neighbors
Elena Yotova, the President of Bulgaria, announced that the country intends to invite its Black Sea neighbors, Turkey and Romania, to meet for consultations on how to ensure the safety of commercial shipping in the region.
She added that Bulgaria may request its NATO allies to "deploy additional air and maritime surveillance capabilities and anti-drone systems to strengthen defense and coastal systems."
Although Bulgaria does not share a border with Russia and Ukraine, it holds a strategic position in the Black Sea as a NATO member, where both countries have significant ports.
Elena Yotova also noted that following this attack, her government will approve the purchase of five surface-to-air missile systems.
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