11 sailors missing after drone strike sinks merchant vessel near Bulgarian waters

By Lauren Kent, Svitlana Vlasova, CNN

(CNN) — Eleven sailors are missing following a drone attack on a vessel off the coast of Bulgaria, according to Bulgarian officials, prompting the country’s government to summon the Russian ambassador.

Overnight there were two attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea, Bulgarian officials said, with one Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship, the “HS Dignity,” being sunk 15 nautical miles east of the Bulgarian village of Krapets – leading to an urgent search and rescue operation.

The search for the missing crew members – believed to be Syrian and Egyptian nationals – is still ongoing as of Tuesday afternoon, the Bulgarian Interior Ministry told CNN. Five people in the 16-person crew had already been rescued by other merchant vessels, the ministry said.

Another cargo ship called the “Chelsea 3,” which sails under the Maltese flag but is Ukrainian-owned, was struck by three drones as it sailed off the coast of Byala, Bulgaria.

Bulgarian border police said they rescued the entire crew of that vessel, which included seven Ukrainian nationals and eight Azerbaijani nationals, some of whom were injured in the attack. All were safely transported to the port of Varna, where the injured crew members received medical assistance, authorities said.

The country’s president and prime minister both strongly condemned the attacks in the vicinity of Bulgarian waters, which they indicated were likely connected to Russia.

“Bulgaria continues to seek support for an investigation into the attacks to determine the country of origin of the drones,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said in a social media post on Tuesday.

“We do not have clear and conclusive evidence to attribute responsibility to either side. However, as I have already stated, the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation,” Radev added. “I will therefore summon the Russian Ambassador for a meeting today.”

Russian authorities did not immediately comment on the incidents. CNN has reached out to the Russian Embassy in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital, for comment.

Radev added that he informed NATO allies and the European Union of the attacks, as Bulgaria seeks assistance to strengthen air and maritime surveillance and defense.

“I strongly condemn the drone attacks on merchant ships near Bulgaria’s coast,” she said. “Those responsible should be held accountable.”

“The Black Sea has become another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine. This is unacceptable,” European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen said in a statement, condemning the attack without explicitly mentioning Russia.

The latest attacks come after two ships were attacked by marine and aerial drones last week inside Bulgaria’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone. One of those vessels was damaged and the crew were all rescued, Bulgaria’s prime minister said at the time. A second vessel sank after being attacked and the search operation for the 10-person crew was eventually called off.

Attacks in the Black Sea have also heightened fears about global food security, as Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exports of grain.

Russia has repeatedly bombed Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, forcing the country to rely on shipping routes close to the coasts of NATO member states Bulgaria and Romania, as well as on Danube river ports. Meanwhile, Ukraine has also stepped up its attacks on Russian grain-exporting ships.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul condemned Tuesday’s strikes on merchant vessels near Bulgaria, calling them “an attack on international shipping & on global food security, depriving the most vulnerable of much-needed supplies” in a post on X.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the alliance “will continue to work closely with our Allies in the Black Sea” and has “already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank.”

A CNN analysis of vessels near where the “HS Dignity” was sunk found that a NATO warship belonging to the Bulgarian Navy appears to be assisting in the search and rescue operations.

In a statement, the Syrian Seafarers’ Union expressed its “deep concern over the fate of the crew members who are still being searched for.”

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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CNN’s Eyad Kourdi and Thomas Gould contributed to this report.