The frigate “Verni“ of the Bulgarian Navy has again targeted the merchant ship ABLE, hit in a drone attack in the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone of the Black Sea. The Ministry of Defense confirmed that the warship has been sent to the area for the second time.
The first mission of “Verni“ was on October 8. The inspection found that ABLE was still above the water. The ship flies under the flag of Palau, is drifting without a crew and is located about 55 nautical miles northeast of Cape Emine.
The Ministry of Defense reports that an operation is being prepared, but does not disclose details about its purpose. The department did not indicate when the operations in the area would end.
One ship sank, nine sailors are missing
ABLE was attacked on the night of October 6 along with another merchant ship. A fire broke out on board, and the 18-member crew was evacuated. Two of the sailors were injured.
The other vessel - – “Alfa Watan“, flying the flag of Togo, sank. Nine Syrian sailors remain missing, and the search operation for them was suspended after rescue teams found no survivors.
The perpetrator of the attacks, which used sea and air drones, has not yet been officially identified. Syria has asked the International Maritime Organization and Bulgarian maritime authorities for an independent and transparent investigation into the incident.
Inspection of sunken ship remains difficult
The National Security Advisory Council is meeting on October 7, and its members have called for immediate action to identify the perpetrators. Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova said that inspecting a sinking ship is complicated because of the need for specialized equipment.
“As far as I understand from my colleagues, it is very specific and difficult to inspect a ship that is sinking“, said Velislava Petrova.The new dispatch of “Verni“ is related to the ongoing actions surrounding ABLE and the clarification of the circumstances surrounding the attacks. The Ministry of Defense has not yet announced what specific actions will be taken on site.
Sources: bntnews.bg, btvnovinite.bg, nova.bg