Sofia, Oct 14:
Bulgaria has said Russia was likely behind recent drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, but acknowledged that it could not prove Moscow’s involvement. Rescue teams were continuing to search for 11 crew members missing after two ships sank in attacks on Tuesday.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told Parliament that the outcome of the strikes appeared to benefit Russia, arguing that Ukraine had little reason to attack its own ships and crews. However, he said the available information was insufficient to establish responsibility. Russia’s ambassador to Bulgaria said she had no information from the Russian Defence Ministry and did not rule out the possibility of a third-party provocation.
One of the vessels, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship Dignity, sank after being hit by a military strike. Four sailors — three Syrians and one Egyptian — were rescued and taken to the port of Varna. A fifth sailor was expected to arrive later, while the search for the remaining missing crew members continued. The other vessel involved was the Ukrainian-owned Chelsea-3, registered in Odesa and sailing under the Maltese flag.
Bulgaria has sought international assistance in investigating the attacks and requested NATO support to strengthen surveillance and response capabilities. President Iliana Yotova called for an immediate halt to hostilities in the Black Sea and a moratorium on drone attacks against commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure.