Ten Sailors Missing After Drone Attack Sinks Cargo Ship in Black Sea

Nine sailors from Syria and one from Egypt are missing following the sinking of a cargo ship in the Black Sea, which has led authorities to call off search-and-rescue operations. The Turkish-owned Alfa Watan was struck by a drone off the Bulgarian coast on Tuesday, prompting suspicions of Russian involvement amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Bulgaria reported finding no traces of the 10 crew members and halted the search on Wednesday. A second vessel sustained damage on the same day, though all of its crew members were successfully rescued. In response, Syria urged Bulgaria and the International Maritime Organisation to launch an investigation.

Mazen Aloush, a director at the Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs, questioned why the search for the Alfa Watan crew was terminated before determining their fate. He emphasized that all available technical means should be utilized to examine the wreck. Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Rumen Nikolov of Bulgaria's Maritime Administration Executive Agency noted that a boat, three life rafts, and equipment parts were recovered prior to the suspension of the search.

Although the exact perpetrator of the attack off Byala in eastern Bulgaria remains unconfirmed, concerns are mounting over potential Russian strikes affecting European Union and Nato nations. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev stated that logistically the incident favors Russia, though he cautioned that concrete evidence is still required. The Russian embassy in Sofia denied any involvement, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blamed Russia for the strike.

Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova announced plans to invite Black Sea neighbours Turkey and Romania for discussions on maritime security, and the nation may request Nato allies to deploy additional air, maritime, and counter-drone capabilities. This incident follows a recent fire on a Black Sea ship that resulted in two deaths, as well as drone occurrences in Poland and Romania.