Drones attack two merchant ships in Black Sea off Bulgaria, one reported sunk
In short
Bulgarian authorities said drones attacked two vessels in the country’s maritime economic zone in the Black Sea, and TASS reported one of them sank. The attack came a day after a cargo ship was hit by drones off Romania’s coast and sank, with accounts differing on the death toll. Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova cancelled a regional trip and Prime Minister Rumen Radev called an emergency meeting with the relevant agencies.
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Bulgarian authorities reported that drones attacked two vessels in the country’s maritime economic zone in the Black Sea, Kommersant wrote, saying no details were immediately disclosed. TASS reported that one of the two vessels sank. [ 1 , 2 ]
Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova cancelled a working trip to the regions, Kommersant reported, citing BTA. The office of Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced an emergency meeting between the head of government and the relevant agencies, as well as a press conference. [ 2 ]
The Bulgarian-coast incident followed an attack on a cargo ship off Romania’s coast on 5 October, which Romanian authorities reported the previous day, according to Kommersant. The ship was sailing from Ukraine to Italy, the outlet said, citing media; a fire broke out after the drone attack and the ship soon sank. Kommersant reported that two people died. RIA Novosti said the foreign cargo ship “Royal Mamedov” was attacked off Romania on 5 October and that the ship’s captain, Azerbaijani citizen Rustam Gasanov, born in 1974, was killed, while another Azerbaijani citizen, Muhammed Suleymanzade, born in 2002, is listed as missing. The two outlets describe the death toll differently. [ 2 , 3 ]
Kommersant wrote that for commercial shipping the risk from such attacks is not limited to damage to vessels: operations can also be disrupted by decisions taken by crews and carriers. After the attacks of 4 August, the Turkish operator Kalyoncu Shipping suspended operations with Russia, the outlet said, because most crew members refused to continue working in those conditions. In August 2026 it was reported that drone attacks on foreign vessels had become more frequent, Kommersant added, making crew safety a factor of its own when carriers choose routes and decide whether to continue voyages. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The strikes extend a pattern of drone attacks on merchant shipping in the Black Sea that, according to Kommersant, has already led carriers to suspend some operations over crew safety. Both the Bulgarian and Romanian coasts are NATO members’ waters, and the Bulgarian government’s emergency response signals how seriously it treats the risk to shipping. The documents give no official attribution for the attacks.
Key facts
- Bulgarian authorities reported that drones attacked two vessels in the country’s maritime economic zone in the Black Sea. [ 2 ]
- TASS reported that one of the two vessels sank. [ 1 ]
- Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova cancelled a working trip to the regions, Kommersant reported, citing BTA. [ 2 ]
- The office of Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced an emergency meeting with the relevant agencies and a press conference. [ 2 ]
- A cargo ship was attacked by drones off Romania’s coast on 5 October, with a fire breaking out and the ship sinking, according to Kommersant. [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti named the ship as “Royal Mamedov” and said its captain, Azerbaijani citizen Rustam Gasanov, born 1974, was killed. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the two vessels attacked off Bulgaria and the ship attacked off Romania are part of the same incident. The documents describe attacks in different areas on different days without saying whether they are linked.
- The number of people killed. Kommersant said two people died in the attack off Romania, while RIA Novosti said one person was killed and another is missing.
- Details of the attack in Bulgaria’s maritime economic zone. Kommersant said the details were not disclosed at the time of publication.
- Who carried out the drone attacks. None of the documents attributes the attacks.
- Bulgarian authorities reported that drones attacked two vessels in the country’s maritime economic zone in the Black Sea. Reported by a single source so far
- The vessel attacked off Romania sank after a fire broke out. Reported by a single source so far
- Kommersant reported that two people died in the sinking of the ship off Romania. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Date of earlier drone attacks cited by Kommersant, after which Turkish operator Kalyoncu Shipping suspended operations with Russia because most crew members refused to continue working. [ 2 ]
- A cargo ship is attacked by drones off Romania’s coast; a fire breaks out and the ship sinks, with Kommersant reporting two dead and RIA Novosti identifying the vessel as “Royal Mamedov”. [ 2 , 3 ]
- TASS reports that drones attacked two merchant vessels in the Black Sea and that one of them sank. [ 1 ]
- Kommersant reports the attack on two vessels off Bulgaria, the president’s cancelled trip and the prime minister’s emergency meeting. [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti reports that an Azerbaijani captain was killed in the attack on the “Royal Mamedov” off Romania. [ 3 ]