The inspection of the damaged ship “Chelsea 3“ may provide real evidence of what and by whom it was hit. This was stated by the MP from “Progressive Bulgaria“ Hristo Simeonov in the program “Denyat ON AIR“ on Bulgaria ON AIR.
“A thorough inspection and analysis of the damage will be possible. There is a very good chance that we will find real evidence of what and by whom this ship was hit“, said Simeonov.
“Chelsea 3“ is about to be towed to a Bulgarian port. The ship is sailing under the Maltese flag, is Ukrainian-owned and was hit by three aerial drones about 16-17 nautical miles east of Byala. All 15 crew members were evacuated by a Bulgarian border police ship. Three sailors were admitted to the Naval Hospital in Varna with burns, one of whom also suffered a minor head injury.
The investigation still has no answer for the perpetrator
According to Simeonov, Bulgaria has taken measures to strengthen security in the Black Sea, but there is still no evidence which country is behind the attacks on ships near Bulgarian territorial waters.
The MP confirmed that the country has requested assistance from NATO and the European Union for the investigation and to increase security in the region. Additional electronic warfare complexes, anti-missile systems and surveillance drones have already been deployed in the region.
Simeonov pointed out that Bulgaria is also working on acquiring new unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-drone systems. The project under the European SAFE mechanism must be implemented by 2030.
“There is no country that can give a 100 percent guarantee for its exclusive economic zone“, said Hristo Simeonov.There is no confirmation of sabotage of Starlink sites
On the topic of possible sabotage on Bulgarian territory, the MP called not to draw preliminary conclusions. He said that the arson of facilities with Starlink antennas is being investigated, but so far there is no confirmation that it was an enemy action.
“Here it is impossible to say whether it is a sabotage or a purely criminal act“, said Simeonov.
After the withdrawal of “Chelsea 3“ to a Bulgarian port, a technical inspection and analysis of the damage are pending. They must clarify the nature of the damage and can provide additional data on the means used.