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Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said two vessels were struck by drones off the country's Black Sea coast, with one of them sinking. He was speaking at an emergency meeting of the Security Council attached to the Council of Ministers. One crew member was rescued from the vessel attacked 17 nautical miles east of the village of Krapets in Dobrich province.

A distress call came at 01:30 from the second ship, located 18 nautical miles east of Byala, prompting the Varna Maritime Rescue Centre to respond immediately. Radev said the vessel, the Ukraine-owned, Odesa-registered "Chelsea 3" flying the Maltese flag, was hit by three drones. All 15 crew members — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — were rescued and taken to the port of Varna, and five received medical treatment.

Radev said Bulgaria's permanent representatives to NATO and the European Union had been informed and that the country was continuing to seek help in investigating the attacks and determining where the drones originated. He said there was not enough conclusive evidence to assign blame, but added that the situation appeared to serve Russia's interests. For that reason, he said, he would summon Russia's ambassador to Sofia, Eleonora Mitrofanova, for talks.

Key Takeaways

• One vessel sank after a drone strike 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, with one crew member rescued.
• All 15 crew of the Maltese-flagged "Chelsea 3" were saved and brought to Varna; five received medical care.
• Radev said he would summon Russia's ambassador, while noting there was no conclusive proof of responsibility.