Bulgaria to summon Russian ambassador, of the aggressor state, after ship attacks — The Independent

Bulgaria will summon the ambassador of the Russian Federation, the aggressor state, Eleonora Mitrofanova, following drone attacks on two commercial vessels in the Black Sea near the Bulgarian coast. One of the vessels sank, The Independent reports, citing statements by Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev.

Crew evacuation

Rescuers evacuated all 15 crew members of the Chelsea 3, which belongs to a Ukrainian owner and was sailing under the Maltese flag. Five sailors received assistance for minor injuries. There were seven Ukrainian citizens and eight Azerbaijani citizens on board.

According to Chelsea 3 crew members, three aerial drones struck the vessel's deck and hull. The strikes occurred approximately 29 and 27.5 kilometers from Bulgaria's coast. Radev also said that one person was rescued from another vessel that sank, without specifying information about the other people on board.

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Reaction of Bulgaria and the EU

During an emergency meeting of Bulgaria's Security Council on October 13, Radev called the attacks absolutely unacceptable and said that the country was seeking assistance from NATO and the European Union. He noted that the authorities have no clear evidence of responsibility for the strikes, but in his assessment, the logic indicates that Russia benefits from their consequences.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks on commercial vessels and said that those responsible must be held accountable. The Russian Federation did not immediately comment on the incident.

A week earlier, sea and aerial drones attacked two more commercial vessels in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. A vessel flying the Togolese flag sank, while a Bulgarian ferry evacuated 18 crew members from a ship flying the Palauan flag.