Three merchant ships were hit in the western part of the Black Sea in two days, and on Facebook, versions of a Russian or Ukrainian attack and weapons in the holds spread faster than official data. What has been confirmed so far is more limited: two ships were attacked in the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone, one sank, and in a separate incident off Romania, two sailors died.
Three ships, two incidents
On October 5, the cargo ship Royad Mammadov caught fire and sank in Romania's exclusive economic zone. The ship, owned by a Turkish company, sails under the flag of St. Kitts and Nevis and was carrying corn from the Ukrainian port of Izmail. Two people died and 11 sailors were rescued.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the ship had been hit by two Russian drones. Romanian authorities confirmed the fire, sinking and rescue operation, but did not name the perpetrator of the attack.
The next day, at around 3:00 AM, two other merchant ships were hit about 70 nautical miles east of Byala. The Togolese-flagged Alfa Watan sank, with its crew missing. The Palauan-flagged Able was hit and caught fire. All 18 sailors were rescued by the Bulgarian ship Dioscuria.
According to Prime Minister Rumen Radev, Able was carrying wheat and was heading south, while Alfa Watan was sailing north. The cargo of the sunken ship has not been identified.
What has been established about the drones
Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said after inspecting Able that the ship was severely damaged by fire and had a flooded engine room. The strike was inflicted on the surface part, which he said indicated the use of a surface drone.
During the inspection with two helicopters “Kugyr“ and the frigate “Verni“ no remains of a drone were found. "Without material evidence, it is impossible to definitively establish whose ownership the drones used are," Stoyanov said.
This leaves open both main versions that are being discussed publicly. The Ukrainian president has blamed Russia for the attacks, while Bulgarian institutions have not confirmed such a conclusion. Radev said that judging by the cargo and direction of the ships, "the result, logically speaking, is in favor of Russia." This is a political assessment, not an established fact about the origin of the drones.
No evidence of weapons
The claims that the sunken Alfa Watan was transporting weapons to Ukraine are not supported by officially reported evidence. The shipowner, Doychin Doychev, said that the vessel was loaded with about 3,000 tons of salt from the Egyptian port of El Arish and was traveling to Kiliya. According to him, after unloading, it was supposed to take on grain for Egypt.
This version explains some of the disputes on social networks, but does not prove what was on board at the time of the sinking. At present, there is no public confirmation that the ship was carrying weapons, nor has the perpetrator of the attack been identified.
Bulgaria has requested assistance from international organizations to survey the sunken ship with an underwater drone. In the meantime, the Navy continues to monitor the area and the damaged Able, whose fate remains unclear.
Sources: bta.bg, apnews.com