On 2024-06-18, two merchant ships were struck by drones in the Black Sea off Bulgaria’s coast. The attacks took place roughly thirty kilometers from the shore, near the territorial waters of NATO member Bulgaria, raising immediate concerns about the safety of commercial shipping in the region. The incident prompted Bulgarian officials to treat the matter as a serious security threat.
The attacks involved several distinct ships. A Guinea‑Bissau‑flagged cargo ship was carrying sixteen crew members at the time of the attack. A separate Maltese‑flagged cargo ship had seven Ukrainian nationals and eight Azerbaijani nationals aboard. Another Maltese‑flagged vessel, the Chelsea 3, had a crew of fifteen; it was struck by three drones during the incident. Following the strike on the Chelsea 3, five crew members were rescued from the vessel HS Dignity.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened an emergency security meeting after the attacks. He characterized the strikes as "absolutely unacceptable" and called for greater assistance from NATO and the European Union to strengthen maritime and airspace surveillance. Radev also noted that, while Bulgaria stopped short of directly accusing Russia, the outcome of the attacks appeared to benefit the Russian Federation. In a follow‑up move, the Bulgarian government summoned the Russian ambassador to Sofia for a meeting to discuss the incidents.
According to the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, the search for the missing crew members is still ongoing as of Tuesday afternoon.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was explicit in assigning blame, stating that Russia’s latest attack on commercial vessels near Bulgaria’s territorial waters, which injured Ukrainian and Azerbaijani citizens, "once again demonstrates Moscow’s deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security in the Black Sea." The European Union echoed the concern, with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declaring that the Black Sea has become "another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine." NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte affirmed that the alliance would continue to work closely with its allies in the Black Sea. Both Ukraine and the EU issued condemnations, and NATO also labeled the attacks unacceptable.
#AMAY| Several sailors missing after drone strike sinks merchant vessel near Bulgarian waters https://t.co/VL30uppGZv #EgyptIndependent https://t.co/ntptL9Xf7w
According to the Bulgarian Interior Ministry, the search for the missing crew members is still ongoing as of Tuesday afternoon. No further details about the specific nationalities of the missing personnel or the results of the search effort were provided in the sources.
The attacks coincided with fresh diplomatic tensions over President Donald Trump’s efforts to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin back to peace negotiations. Those efforts included a controversial agreement that would allow Russian diesel exports. The timing of the strikes overlapped with these developments, though it does not assert a causal link.
Two Indian Sailors Missing After Drone Strike Near Oman https://t.co/w5FcD8gDdN https://t.co/XsHzK9FnVE
As of the latest information available, eleven sailors remain missing after the sinking of a merchant vessel in the Black Sea. Bulgarian officials continue to seek international support for an investigation to determine the origin of the drones used in the attacks. The incidents have intensified scrutiny of maritime security in the region and have contributed to a broader atmosphere of mistrust between Bulgaria, its NATO allies, and Russia. The search for the missing crew proceeds, and diplomatic discussions over the Black Sea’s safety remain active.