Two commercial cargo ships were struck by drones in the Black Sea early on Tuesday morning in what Bulgaria’s prime minister called an unacceptable attack — the first such strike on commercial shipping inside a NATO member’s exclusive economic zone. One vessel sank and its crew is missing, while the other caught fire and all 18 of its crew members were evacuated.
FAKTA
- What: Sea and aerial drones struck two commercial vessels — the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan and the Palau-flagged Able — in Bulgaria’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone.
- When: Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at around 3 a.m. local time, roughly 80 miles east of the Bulgarian town of Byala and Cape St. Atanas.
- The ships: The Alfa Watan suffered critical structural damage and sank; the fate of its crew was unknown. The Able, carrying wheat, caught fire and its 18 crew members were evacuated by the Bulgarian ferry Dioscuria; two sailors were seriously injured and flown to a hospital in Varna.
- Response: Bulgaria launched a large search-and-rescue operation with helicopters and military aircraft; Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened an emergency government meeting.
- Who is responsible: The origin of the drones has not been established; Russia did not immediately comment on the incident.
Predawn strikes far from shore
According to Bulgarian authorities, the two vessels issued distress signals at about 4 a.m. after being hit by a combination of sea and aerial drones roughly 70 to 80 nautical miles east of the coast. By mid-morning, the Alfa Watan had disappeared from the Border Police’s radar screens after suffering catastrophic damage.
Rescuers searching the area found an overturned lifeboat and scattered life jackets but no sign of the missing crew members. Bulgarian public broadcaster BNR reported that the ship, heading north with an undisclosed cargo, was carrying about 25,000 gross tons. Authorities said they were monitoring for possible oil spills and other environmental pollution.
Crew of the Able rescued
The second vessel, the Palau-flagged Able, was left engulfed in flames after the attack. Its entire 18-member crew managed to abandon ship and was picked up by the Bulgarian-flagged ferry Dioscuria, which was operating nearby.
Two of the sailors suffered severe injuries and were flown by helicopter to a hospital in the port city of Varna. The Able had been carrying a cargo of wheat and was sailing south, according to the prime minister’s office.
Radev: “Blatant violation of international law”
Speaking after an emergency meeting of state institutions, Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the attack in the strongest terms, calling it “an unacceptable attack” and “a blatant violation of international law and maritime law.”
Radev warned that the war in the Black Sea was expanding geographically and increasing the risk of a wider conflict, noting that the strikes were seriously disrupting shipping, driving up insurance costs and making navigation extremely difficult.
Escalation in the Black Sea
The strikes came barely a day after another cargo ship, the Royad Mammadov, caught fire and sank in Romania’s exclusive economic zone, killing two seafarers while 11 were rescued. Ukraine’s president blamed that attack on Russian drones, while Moscow did not immediately comment.
UK maritime security specialist Vanguard Tech said that if the Bulgarian reports are confirmed, the incidents would mark a significant westward expansion of the threat facing merchant shipping in the Black Sea — taking the danger well beyond waters immediately off Ukraine. The origin of the drones in Tuesday’s attack has not been officially established, and no party has been publicly blamed.
More on developments in the region: Watan News Europe coverage.
