Ship Sinks and Crew Missing After Black Sea Drone Attack
BBC News
Image source: Petko Momchilov / Reuters
Image caption: Two injured crew members from one of the ships have been sent for treatment.
By Emer Moreau
Published 6 October 2026, 11:37 BST
Updated 22 minutes ago
A civilian cargo ship has sunk and its crew is missing after being attacked by drones in the Black Sea, Bulgarian officials say. A second vessel—carrying grain—was also hit within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. Its 18 crew were rescued.
Radev did not attribute responsibility for the attacks, which coincide with intensifying Russian strikes in the Black Sea, particularly on the eastern side, as part of its war against Ukraine. Moscow has remained silent on this latest incident, following accusations by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky the day prior that Russia struck a civilian vessel carrying corn.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen termed the attacks "unacceptable."
Air and sea drones were involved in the strikes around 03:00 (23:00 GMT), approximately 70 miles (112 km) off Bulgaria's eastern coast, near the town of Byala, Radev stated. The sunken ship, named Alfa Watan, was registered under Togo's flag and owned by Turkey. It was reportedly en route to Sulina, Romania.
It remains unclear what cargo the Alfa Watan was carrying or how many people were aboard. A Bulgarian vessel passing by found overturned boats, life jackets, and rafts but no sign of survivors. A search operation has been initiated.
Radev condemned the strikes as "a flagrant violation of maritime law." He did not directly accuse Russia but linked them to the ongoing war in Ukraine, stating: "If this war is not halted in time... it will expand its reach and pose global conflict risks."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed concern on X, stating: "The situation in the Black Sea is increasingly worrying. Commercial ships—and innocent crews—are being targeted, with lives already lost at sea… Attacks on civilian shipping are unacceptable."
Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone covers just over 29,000 sq km (11,197 sq miles), comprising about 6% of the Black Sea.
A separate attack on Tuesday near Odesa resulted in one crew member dead and seven injured. The ship flew the flag of the Marshall Islands, according to Ukrainian media reports.
On Sunday, Russia's defense ministry announced it would intensify strikes across Ukraine as retaliation for President Zelensky’s comments a week prior regarding Kyiv’s plans to escalate attacks on Russian oil refineries.