Russia seeks to make the western Black Sea unsafe for shipping

Two civilian vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone were attacked by maritime and aerial drones that the Ukrainian side identified as Russian, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. According to him, the Ukrainian Navy clarified the circumstances of the incident in coordination with the Bulgarian side.

The attack took place overnight on October 6, around 130 km off the Bulgarian coast. The Togo-flagged ALFA WATAN sustained critical damage and sank, while the search for its crew continued. A fire broke out aboard the Palau-flagged ABLE after the strike, but all 18 crew members were rescued.

According to Bulgarian media, ABLE was carrying grain and heading south. Bulgarian authorities described the attack as a serious incident that is complicating navigation in the Black Sea and could further increase insurance and transport costs.

At the same time, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said Sofia was not yet able to officially establish the origin of the drones. He noted that the incident occurred in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone but outside its territorial waters, and that the issue had already been raised at EU and NATO level.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine had conducted no operations in the area and described the attack as part of Russia’s efforts to make the western Black Sea unsuitable for shipping. He instructed the Armed Forces, the Defence Ministry, intelligence agencies and other services to strengthen cooperation with partners to protect civilian navigation.

Tags: Bulgaria, Black Sea region, shipping, Black Sea grain corridor, Ukraine, Russia