Cargo Ship Sinks, Crew Missing After Drone Attack Off Bulgaria

Black Sea Drone Strikes Leave Cargo Crew Missing Near Bulgaria

Tempatdonasi.com – A civilian cargo vessel has gone down in the Black Sea after a drone attack near Bulgaria, prompting a search for crew members who remain unaccounted for. A separate grain ship was also hit in the same area, though all 18 people aboard that vessel were brought to safety.

The strikes took place at roughly 03:00 local time, or 23:00 GMT, around 112 kilometers from Byala on Bulgaria’s eastern coast. The incidents occurred within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, an area where the country has specific economic and maritime rights but which remains part of international waters.

Search Begins for Alfa Watan Crew

The vessel that sank was identified as the Alfa Watan, a general cargo ship sailing under the flag of Togo. It was owned by a Turkish company and had been heading toward Sulina, Romania, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said.

It was not immediately known what cargo the ship had been carrying or how many crew members were on board when it was struck. A Bulgarian vessel sent to the location found an overturned boat, along with life rafts and life jackets, indicating that those aboard may have abandoned the ship before it disappeared beneath the water.

Authorities have started a search operation for the missing sailors. Conditions at sea, the time elapsed since the attack, and uncertainty over the number of people aboard are likely to complicate efforts to locate survivors.

The Alfa Watan’s sinking adds to concern about the vulnerability of commercial shipping in the Black Sea, where civilian vessels operate amid a conflict that has increasingly affected maritime routes and port access.

Grain Carrier Crew Rescued

The second ship, the Able, was carrying grain and flew the flag of Palau. Bulgarian sailors rescued all 18 crew members after the vessel was hit. The crew included 11 Turkish nationals and seven Indian nationals.

A fire broke out aboard the Able following the strike, leaving two crew members injured. Their conditions were not detailed.

Before the attacks, the Able was believed to be about five nautical miles from the Alfa Watan, equivalent to approximately nine kilometers. The short distance between the ships underscores how closely the two incidents were linked geographically, even though their immediate consequences differed sharply.

Grain shipments remain an important part of Black Sea trade, particularly for countries connected to Ukrainian and Romanian ports. Any threat to merchant traffic in the region can have consequences beyond the vessels involved, raising concerns for crews, insurers, shipping operators and states that depend on uninterrupted maritime commerce.

Bulgaria Condemns Strike in Its Economic Zone

Radev described the attack as a serious breach of maritime law and said the strike inside Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone could not be accepted.

“A flagrant violation of maritime law.”

“Absolutely unacceptable.”

No party was publicly identified as responsible for the attacks. The incident came as Russia has stepped up strikes across the Black Sea, particularly in its eastern areas, during its war against Ukraine.

Moscow had not commented on the latest strikes. One day earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia had attacked a civilian vessel transporting corn. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also criticized attacks on commercial ships and their crews.

“The situation in the Black Sea is increasingly concerning.”

Von der Leyen said civilian mariners and commercial vessels were coming under attack and noted that lives had already been lost at sea.

“Attacks on civilian shipping are unacceptable.”

Growing Risks for Civilian Maritime Traffic

The latest episode follows another attack near Odesa on Tuesday, when one crew member was killed and seven others were injured. Ukrainian media said that ship was registered under the Marshall Islands flag.

Commercial vessels often sail under flags different from the nationalities of their owners or crews, a common practice in global shipping. The Alfa Watan, Able and the ship struck near Odesa illustrate the international nature of the crews and registrations involved in the Black Sea’s maritime traffic.

The danger facing civilian shipping has intensified as the conflict continues. On Sunday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it would increase strikes throughout Ukraine after Zelensky said Kyiv would expand attacks on Russian oil refineries.

Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, the Black Sea has remained strategically important for military activity, trade and grain exports. For civilian crews, the latest attacks highlight the risks that persist even outside immediate battlefield areas.

For now, the most urgent focus remains the search for those missing from the Alfa Watan, while investigators work to establish the circumstances of the strikes and the full toll of the sinking.