Drones strike ships off Bulgaria
The gist
Drones struck two ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria, sinking one and prompting rescues.
The strikes near NATO waters raise questions about who is behind them.
How it unfolded
- Oct 6, 2026Sea and aerial drones attacked two commercial vessels in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone; a Togo-flagged ship sank and a Bulgarian ferry evacuated the 18-member crew from a Pulau-flagged vessel. One of the ships, the Alfa Watan, sank and all 10 crew, including nine Syrians, are presumed dead.
- Oct 12, 2026A Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying corn caught fire following a drone attack and later sank in the Black Sea off the coast of Romania; two people died and 11 crew members were rescued, Romanian authorities said.
- Oct 13, 2026Drones struck two ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria, sinking one and prompting emergency rescue operations, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. One ship went down 17 nautical miles east of Krapets with one crew member saved; the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3 was hit by three aerial drones 18 nautical miles from Byala and all 15 crew were rescued.