Drones struck two merchant vessels in the Black Sea off Bulgaria on Tuesday, sinking one and triggering emergency rescue operations, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said — pushing the war in Ukraine to the very edge of NATO waters.
The Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3 was hit by three aerial drones at about 1.30am on Tuesday, some 20 miles off the Bulgarian coast. Rescuers evacuated all 15 crew — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — to the port of Varna; five were treated for minor injuries. A second vessel, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity, was struck about 21 miles off the coast and sank. One sailor was rescued; 11 crew remained missing as search and rescue resumed on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported from Sofia.
Sofia seeks NATO and EU backing
Radev called the attacks “absolutely unacceptable” and said Bulgaria was seeking NATO and European Union assistance. His government summoned the Russian ambassador to Sofia, Eleonora Mitrofanova, and Radev said he planned to speak with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Bulgaria stopped short of explicitly accusing Russia, with Radev noting there was no clear evidence of who was responsible — though he said logic indicated the outcome favoured the Russian Federation. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha publicly blamed Russia, urging partners to strengthen sanctions and protect freedom of navigation. Ambassador Mitrofanova said she had no information from the Russian Defence Ministry about the attacks.
A lifeline for global food security
The strikes extend a pattern. On October 6, drones hit the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan and the Palau-flagged Able about 70 nautical miles off Bulgaria; the Alfa Watan sank with ten sailors missing, and all 18 aboard the Able were rescued. This week’s attacks occurred less than a quarter of that distance from shore — a marked escalation toward NATO coastlines. Russia has been bombing Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, forcing Kyiv to rely increasingly on Danube river ports and shipping routes close to the coasts of NATO members Bulgaria and Romania. Repeated attacks on civilian shipping risk rippling through global supply chains, and pressure on freight networks is already running high.
For the United States and its allies, the stakes are strategic. The Black Sea is a lifeline for global grain exports and food security, and Ukraine’s foreign minister has warned Moscow is using the corridor as leverage. Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said on Wednesday that Bulgaria expects to join a NATO anti-drone initiative by the end of October — parliament heard Sofia could be part of the project by October 30. NATO has said it will monitor the situation and adjust its posture if needed — a signal the war’s reach is now brushing the alliance’s southeastern flank.
