Bulgarian officials have terminated search and rescue operations after confirming that no survivors were found following a drone attack that sank a commercial vessel in international waters. The incident highlights escalating threats to maritime traffic in the Black Sea amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Rumen Nikolov, head of Bulgaria’s Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, stated on Wednesday that there is “no trace of the sailors.” The search was called off late Tuesday, with Nikolov confirming it would not resume. While 18 crew members from another ship caught fire in the same early Tuesday attack were rescued, the fate of those aboard the sunken vessel remains unknown.
According to the specialized maritime website Maritime.bg, there were 10 people on board the ship that sank. Authorities have not officially released a missing persons count, but debris recovered from the site included one overturned boat, three life rafts, and scattered equipment floating on the sea surface.
Nikolov clarified that the incident took place within a designated “responsible search and rescue zone” rather than within Bulgaria’s 12-nautical-mile territorial waters. When asked about the recovery of drone fragments, he noted he had no information regarding drone debris.
The attacks occurred approximately 80 nautical miles (150km) east of the coastal town of Byala. Distress signals were received at 2:54 am local time for the sunken ship and at 3:23 am for the vessel that caught fire. Database records from Equasis indicate both commercial ships were managed by companies based in Turkiye.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the attack as “absolutely unacceptable,” and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also issued a statement of condemnation. Bulgarian authorities stated they are currently unable to determine the origin of the drones responsible for the strikes.
This event follows a similar incident on Monday, when a ship caught fire and sank off the Romanian coast, resulting in two deaths. Ukraine has blamed Russia for that earlier drone attack, as strikes on Black Sea shipping have intensified.
Who owned those drones? Authorities admit they dont know the origin yet. An unexplained attack right now just adds to the regional tension.
Ten crew members gone and no bodies found. The uncertainty must be agonizing for their families back home.
Another cargo ship lost in the Black Sea. This conflict is spilling over into vital trade routes with devastating consequences for civilians.