Cargo Ship Sinks After Black Sea Drone Attack

A civilian cargo ship has sunk and its crew is missing after drone attacks in the Black Sea, Bulgarian officials said. A second grain-carrying vessel was also hit inside Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, but all 18 crew members were rescued. Two injured crew members were taken for medical treatment.

The sunken vessel, the Turkish-owned Alfa Watan sailing under the Togo flag, was reportedly heading towards Sulina, Romania. Bulgarian authorities found an overturned boat, life rafts and life jackets at the scene and launched a search operation. The second vessel, the Able, was carrying grain and had 11 Turkish and seven Indian crew members on board.

The attacks took place around 112 km off Bulgaria’s eastern coast as fighting linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to affect the Black Sea. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the incident as a violation of maritime law but did not identify those responsible. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also called attacks on civilian shipping unacceptable.

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