Black Sea Drone Strikes Sink Second Ship as Bulgaria Recovers Fragments
Bulgaria’s salvage operation retrieves drone debris from one vessel while a second sinks.
Bulgaria has recovered critical evidence from one of two merchant ships targeted in recent drone attacks in the Black Sea, while confirming the sinking of a second vessel after days of uncontrolled drifting.
The Chelsea-3, a 5,827 dwt Maltese-flagged ship owned by Ukrainian interests, was successfully towed to Burgas after being struck 17 nautical miles east of Byala on October 13. Bulgarian salvage teams, at an estimated cost of €200,000, secured the vessel following days of adverse weather that initially prevented recovery efforts.
Inspections revealed three significant breaches in the hull, including damage to the portside stern and midship sections. While no military cargo was found onboard, authorities recovered drone fragments that are now undergoing chemical analysis to determine the explosive composition and drone specifications. Bulgarian officials have declined to speculate on the attack’s origin but noted the unlikelihood of Ukraine targeting its own vessel. International support has been offered for the identification process, though no formal request has been made.
Drone Fragments Recovered from Damaged Vessel: Black Sea
The 15 crewmembers were evacuated before the vessel began drifting southward, eventually reaching 10.7 nautical miles east of Lozenets by October 16. The ship was finally secured and towed to port the following day.
A second vessel, the Palau-registered Able carrying 5,985 tons of barley from Romania to Turkey, disappeared from radar between October 19 and 20. Bulgarian officials confirmed the ship likely sank after drifting for over a week with severe fire damage and a flooded engine room. The vessel was initially attacked on October 6 approximately 70 nautical miles from Byala within Bulgaria’s Exclusive Economic Zone. No drone fragments were recovered from this incident.
Second Ship Sinks After Prolonged Drift
In response to the escalating maritime threats, Bulgaria has deployed two unmanned surveillance systems to monitor its Black Sea waters, with a third advanced system expected to join patrols shortly. Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced these measures as part of enhanced security protocols. Prime Minister Rumen Radev added that a US Poseidon aircraft is conducting reconnaissance missions to provide early warnings.
The attacks extend beyond Bulgarian waters. On October 29, the Liberian-flagged CONTSHIP JET, a Greek container ship transporting 421 containers from Haifa to Constanța, sank after being struck by three sea drones while transiting Bulgaria’s EEZ. All 18 crewmembers, 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians, were rescued and taken to Varna. Video evidence verified by international sources showed a sea drone maneuvering toward the vessel before impact.
Bulgaria and Romania have formally requested increased NATO assistance to protect commercial shipping in the region amid growing concerns about maritime security in the Black Sea.
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