Black Sea drone strike sinks cargo ship off Bulgaria sparking search for missing crew

A merchant ship sank off the coast of Bulgaria while another was rescued after they were struck by drones on Tuesday. It is not clear who carried out the attacks but Bulgarian prime minister Rumen Radev described it as a gross violation of international law. The ship, named Alfa Watan, sank around 70 miles off the coastal town of Byala and a rescue party was launched but the crew on board are still missing. A Bulgarian ferry that witnessed the explosion rushed to the scene and discovered overturned life rafts and jackets near the ship that sank, but no crew were found. Shipping sources said they appeared to be the first such attacks in Bulgarian waters. It comes amid growing concerns about hybrid attacks by Russia as it wages war in Ukraine. While the search for the Alfa Watan crew continues, survivors on the vessel Able, which was carrying grain, have been rescued. All 18 crew members – 11 Turkish and seven Indian – were saved but two were injured and flown to a hospital in the port city of Varna. Crew members from a ship damaged in a drone attack disembark from a Bulgarian border police vessel in Varna, Bulgaria, following a rescue mission Bulgarian prime minister Rumen Radev described the attacks as 'absolutely unacceptable' The cargo vessel Able is pictured last month off the Turkish coast. All 18 crew members were rescued on TuesdayThe other, which sank, was a Togo-flagged ship whose cargo was not disclosed and it is unclear how many people were on board.Mr Radev said it was unclear where the drones came from but Russia is suspected to be behind the incident. Bulgaria, a Nato member, does not border either Russia or Ukraine but it holds a strategic position in the Black Sea, where the warring nations have major ports. The incident occurred some 140 nautical miles away from the Ukrainian coast.A search has been launched for the missing crew and for any signs of an environmental threat, including possible oil spills. A maritime security source said initial assessments of the strike suggested it had probably been a Russian attack.Mr Radev did not say who was behind the incident but made a reference to Russia's war in Ukraine.He said: 'If this war is not brought to an end in time, it will continue to expand its geographical scope and increase the risk of even a global conflict. Paramedics lift an injured crew member into the back of an ambulance The cargo ship Alfa Watan is pictured in Turkey just one day before it was struck by a drone. The search for survivors continues'We are seeing the war intensify, with all the rules of international law now being violated, and civilian vessels being attacked at sea. This is absolutely unacceptable.'The Bulgarian leader added: 'As a state responsible within our exclusive economic zone for the health and lives of anyone navigating in this area, regardless of who is responsible, we are obliged to conduct emergency search and rescue operations.'What is happening is seriously disrupting shipping in the Black Sea, driving up insurance costs even further and making shipping extremely difficult.'Russia did not immediately comment on the incident.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that attacks on civilian shipping are unacceptable. She said: 'Commercial ships – and innocent crews – are being targeted, with lives already lost at sea.'Hungarian prime minister Peter Magyar meanwhile said: 'Hungary stands in full solidarity with Bulgaria.' According to British maritime risk management group Vanguard, the attacks on Tuesday were launched against the Togo-flagged general cargo vessel Alfa Watan and the Palau-flagged general cargo vessel Able, within Bulgaria's economic zone.The Able was carrying wheat and sailing south, while the Alfa Watan was heading north but its cargo was unknown.Both ships issued distress signals, with Bulgarian sources stating they had been struck by drones, Vanguard wrote in a report.The drone attack follows an incident in which Romanian authorities said on Monday two people had died in a fire on a ship in the Black Sea outside Romania's territorial waters.The Azerbaijani captain died, while one Azerbaijani crew member remains missing, according to Azerbaijan's foreign ministry, as cited by Russia's Ria Novosti news agency. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russian drones for the incident, describing the attack as 'a horrific strike by two Russian drones on a civilian vessel' in neutral waters.But Russian authorities issued no immediate comment and Nato declined to comment, referring all inquiries about the drone attacks to Bulgaria.Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European countries have reported Russian drones breaching ⁠their airspace multiple times and mines floating in the Black Sea across trade and energy routes.The attacks came a day after a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying corn caught fire following a drone attack and later sank in the Black Sea. Both ships issued distress signals, with Bulgarian sources stating they had been struck by drones At least 45 merchant vessels have been attacked over the past 12 months in areas of the Black SeaTwo people died and 11 crew members were rescued, Romanian authorities said.At least 45 merchant vessels have been attacked over the past 12 months in areas of the Black Sea previously not listed as high-risk, maritime risk expert Ambrey said last month.No strikes were recorded in the areas in the preceding 12 months, Ambrey said, adding that the increase was driven by attacks further from the coasts of Russia and Ukraine.Turkey's Chamber of Maritime Commerce (IMEAK) said in August that since the start of the war, 226 civilian and commercial vessels have been attacked in the Black Sea, the vast majority this year.It is the first such incident off Bulgaria.Last month Nato's top commander, US General Alexus Grynkewich, urged member countries to publicly identify those they believe responsible for drone incidents or acts of sabotage once sufficient evidence has been gathered.The German government took almost a month to publicly blame Russia for an attempted attack at Leipzig airport involving a drone laden with explosives in August.