Search Ends For Crew Missing From Drone-Hit Ship In Black Sea

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Sofia: Bulgarian officials have called off the search for the missing crew of a merchant ship that sank in the Black Sea after being hit by drones within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, rescuers say. The Togolese-flagged Alfa Watan sustained serious structural damage and sank approximately 70 nautical miles (130 kilometres) east of Bulgaria's coast.

The ship was one of two commercial vessels targeted by aerial and maritime drones early Tuesday. The second tanker, the Palau-flagged Able, was transporting grain and caught fire after being struck. All 18 crew members were rescued, including Turkish and Indian nationals, and two injured sailors were transported to hospitals in Varna.

Rescuers searching for the Alfa Watan crew found debris, an overturned lifeboat, and life jackets, but no survivors were reported. The number and nationalities of the crew on the sunken vessel had not been confirmed.
Bulgaria's Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the incident as a severe violation of international and maritime law. The origin of the drones has not been independently determined, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia and described the incident as a coordinated Russian operation using marine and airborne drones.

Moscow has not issued a public statement on the incident. According to sources, the attack in Bulgaria has raised concerns about the safety of commercial transportation in the western Black Sea. This comes after another vessel was damaged near Romania early before.