Drone Attacks Ships Bulgaria Black Sea
In short
Two ships were hit by drones off the Bulgarian Black Sea coast on 13 October 2026, causing one vessel to sink and leaving eleven sailors missing. This marks the second such attack in a single week near NATO territorial waters.
In plain words
Unmanned flying vehicles or boats attacked two vessels in the Black Sea. One ship went under the water, and rescue teams are looking for eleven people who are not accounted for. Bulgaria has called the Russian ambassador to protest the incident.
A simple example
The Ukrainian-owned ship Chelsea 3 was one of the vessels struck during the attacks.
Why it matters
These attacks threaten international shipping and safety near NATO borders. They increase tensions between Bulgaria, Russia, and the European Union regarding maritime security.
Easy to mix up
Do not confuse these maritime drone strikes with land-based drone warfare seen in other regional conflicts.
Sources
- Bulgaria to summon Russian ambassador over Black Sea drone attacks
- Drones sink ship off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, says PM Radev
- Drones hit ships in Black Sea, sinking 1 and prompting rescue operations: Bulgaria
- At least 11 missing after two ships struck off Bulgaria in latest Black Sea attack, official says