What happened
A civilian cargo ship, the Alfa Watan, has sunk in the Black Sea after being attacked by drones, with its crew missing. The ship, which was flying under the flag of Togo, was reportedly heading for Sulina, Romania. A second vessel, the Able, carrying grain, was also hit within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, but its 18 crew members were rescued, including two who were injured in a fire on board.
The attacks, which involved air and sea drones, occurred about 70 miles off the coastal town of Byala in eastern Bulgaria. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the strikes as a flagrant violation of maritime law and said a search operation has been launched for the missing crew of the Alfa Watan.
The incident comes as Russia intensifies its strikes in the Black Sea as part of its war against Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the attacks as unacceptable and expressed concern over the increasing risks to commercial ships and innocent crews in the region.
