Two vessels, the Able and the Alfa Watan, were attacked in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. The Alfa Watan sank and a fire broke out aboard the Able. Bulgaria’s prime minister said the Able’s crew was evacuated.
Two commercial ships were struck by drones in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The Togo-flagged Alfa Watan sank, while a fire broke out aboard the Palau-flagged Able. Maritime.bg first reported the incident. The Associated Press also confirmed the strike and the sinking, citing Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev.
Radev said the attack took place about 128 kilometres (80 miles) off Bulgaria’s coast. The Alfa Watan suffered critical structural damage and sank. The fate of its crew was not immediately known. The Able caught fire after the attack. All 18 people aboard were evacuated by a Bulgarian ferry. Two sailors were seriously injured and taken to a hospital in Varna.
Maritime.bg reported that the Alfa Watan was sailing from El-Arish, Egypt, to Sulina, Romania, while the Able was travelling from Galați, Romania, to Istanbul. The origin of the drones has not been established.
Radev called it the first attack on shipping in Bulgaria’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone. A commercial vessel also sank in the region the previous day after a drone strike, but media reports placed that incident outside Bulgaria’s zone.