by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
SOFIA/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Bulgarian authorities have ended their search for the missing crew of a cargo ship that sank in the Black Sea after being struck in an apparent drone attack, with Bulgarian public broadcaster BNT reporting that 12 Syrian sailors were aboard.
The Alfa Watan sank in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone after being hit by what authorities described as sea and aerial drones.
Bulgaria’s Maritime Administration said the search-and-rescue operation ended Tuesday at 5 p.m. and would not resume after rescuers found no trace of the sailors.
Three life rafts, an overturned lifeboat and debris from the vessel were reportedly discovered, but no survivors were found.
Bulgarian Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov said the crew had only about three minutes to react before the Alfa Watan sank.
SECOND SHIP AT RISK
Authorities have not reported finding any of the 12 Syrian sailors.
A second cargo ship, the Able, was also struck in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, but all 18 crew members aboard that vessel were rescued. Two were reportedly injured.
Bulgarian officials said the Able remained in danger of sinking after its engine room became almost completely flooded.
The attacks heightened concerns about the security of commercial shipping in the Black Sea, where Russia’s war against Ukraine has increasingly threatened civilian maritime traffic.
These incidents came shortly after another cargo vessel was struck near Romania in the Black Sea, leaving at least one person dead and another reported missing.
BLACK SEA TENSIONS
Bulgarian authorities have not independently established who carried out the latest attacks or where the drones originated.
Ukraine has blamed Russia, saying information received following contact with the Bulgarian navy indicated that the vessels were struck in a combined Russian drone attack.
Moscow had not publicly confirmed responsibility for the attacks.
The latest incidents underscore mounting risks for merchant vessels operating in the Black Sea as the war increasingly spills beyond the immediate battlefields of Ukraine.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
