Two merchant ships have been hit by a drone attack in the Black Sea, east of Cape St. Atanas and the Byala area. The Bulgarian ferry DIOSCURIA has taken on board 18 sailors from one of the vessels, on which a fire broke out.
The information was reported by Maritime.bg, and at the moment there is no official confirmation from a Bulgarian institution about the origin of the drones and all the circumstances surrounding the incident. According to the media, the attack took place in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.
The injured ship ABLE is sailing under the flag of Palau. After the impact, a serious fire broke out on board, which required the evacuation of the entire 18-member crew. The sailors were taken aboard the Bulgarian ro-ro/passenger ferry DIOSCURIA.
Among those rescued were injured. They were provided with first aid on board the ferry, and subsequent transportation to medical facilities on the shore was organized for the injured. No data on the number and severity of injuries were released.
The second ship sank
The other damaged vessel was the cargo ALFA WATAN, which sails under the flag of Togo. According to Maritime.bg, the ship suffered serious structural damage and sank east of the Bulgarian coast.
The fate of the ALFA WATAN crew has not yet been confirmed. There is no official announcement about the number of people on board or about a separate rescue operation being undertaken for them.
“The origin of the drones used, as well as the exact circumstances surrounding the attacks, are still being clarified“, Maritime.bg reports in its information about the incident.
The case has been determined as the first registered attack against commercial ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. The development of the rescue operation and the condition of the crews are yet to be specified by the competent authorities.
Sources: eurocom.bg, maritime.bg