Published Oct. 6, 2026. Two commercial ships were struck by sea and aerial drones early Tuesday in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, Bulgarian authorities said. One vessel sank and the other was badly damaged, triggering a rescue operation and an investigation into who carried out the attack.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the strikes occurred at about 3 a.m., roughly 70 nautical miles east of the Bulgarian coastal town of Byala. Bulgaria’s government described the incident as an unacceptable attack on civilian shipping and a violation of international maritime law.
What authorities have confirmed
According to the Bulgarian News Agency, the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan sustained critical damage and sank. The Palau-flagged Able caught fire; its 18 crew members were evacuated, and two were injured.
Bulgaria’s defense minister said Tuesday evening that investigators had not recovered enough drone wreckage to determine their origin. He said no survivors from the sunken vessel had been found by that point and warned that the damaged ship was also at risk of sinking.
Responsibility remains under investigation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia in a Tuesday evening address, saying Ukraine’s navy had contacted Bulgarian counterparts. Bulgarian officials, however, said they could not yet independently confirm whether the drones were Russian or Ukrainian. Russia had not publicly commented on the incident at the time of publication.
That distinction matters: the confirmed fact is that two civilian vessels were attacked inside Bulgaria’s economic zone. The identity of the attacker remains an active investigation, and AskNovus will update this report when Bulgarian authorities release verified findings.
Why the incident matters
The attack adds to concern about the safety of commercial navigation in the western Black Sea. Bulgaria informed NATO allies and convened national-security consultations while rescue crews searched for missing sailors and monitored possible environmental damage.
Follow AskNovus World News for verified updates on the investigation and maritime-security response.
Sources
- Bulgarian News Agency, updated Oct. 6, 2026.
- Associated Press, Oct. 6, 2026.
- Reuters, Oct. 6, 2026.
Featured image: Cargo ships at sea. Photo by Yalcin Arsan on Unsplash. The image is illustrative and was not taken during this incident.
[…] For related international-security reporting, see AskNovus’s World News coverage and its report on Bulgaria’s investigation of drone attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea. […]