Bombay Durpun - Bulgaria searches for missing crew after drones hit more Black Sea ships

The dual strike came a day after another ship caught fire and sank off the Romanian coast -- killing one and leaving one missing -- in what Ukraine said was a drone attack launched by Russia. Black Sea shipping has been hit by growing fallout from the Ukraine-Russia war in recent months.

A search operation was launched 70 nautical miles east of the coastal town of Byala, authorities said.

The ship that sank was the Togolese-flagged Alfa Watan, according to the Maritime.bg specialised website.

The second ship, the Able, registered in Palau, was set on fire but its Turkish and Indian crew members have been rescued.

Both vessels are Turkish-owned, according to the Equasis merchant shipping database.

A Bulgarian ferry that witnessed the explosion and rushed to the scene discovered overturned life rafts and life jackets near the ship that sank, but no crew have been found, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told reporters. He did not specify how many people were missing.

The attack "constitutes a flagrant violation of maritime law and, more broadly, of the rules of navigation," Radev said.

"Such an attack within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone is absolutely unacceptable," he said.

Eighteen crew -- 11 Turkish and seven Indian -- were rescued from the Able. Two were hospitalised, one suffering from burns and one from a head injury.

- 'Very concerning' -

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen also called attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea "unacceptable".

"While exact circumstances of these incidents are still being established, the developments are very concerning," von der Leyen wrote online.

According to the available information, the Able was carrying wheat and heading south, while the Alfa Watan was sailing north, Radev said.

"The situation significantly complicates navigation in the Black Sea, drives up insurance premiums, and makes maritime traffic extremely difficult," Radev said before convening an emergency meeting of ministers.

Romania reported on Monday that a grain ship had caught fire and sank in the Black Sea.

Ukraine blamed the attack on the Turkish-owned Royal Mammadov on Russia.

The Azerbaijani captain died, while one Azerbaijani crew member remains missing, according to Azerbaijan's foreign ministry, as cited by Russia's Ria Novosti news agency.

Amid mounting fallout from Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, incidents involving drones have become increasingly frequent in recent months across eastern European countries.

The conflict has also spread across the eastern Black Sea.

At least 45 merchant vessels have been attacked over the past 12 months in areas of the Black Sea previously not listed as high-risk, maritime risk expert Ambrey said last month.

No strikes were recorded in the areas in the preceding 12 months, Ambrey said, adding that the increase was driven by attacks further from the coasts of Russia and Ukraine.

Turkey's Chamber of Maritime Commerce (IMEAK) said in August that since the start of the war, 226 civilian and commercial vessels have been attacked in the Black Sea, the vast majority this year.

It is the first such incident off Bulgaria.

A drone exploded in August close to the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline linking Turkey to Ukraine near the Romanian border in Bulgaria.

Ukraine denied targeting Bulgaria after Bulgaria's defence ministry said the drone was of a type "widely used by the Ukrainian military".

burs-rb-jza/tw

L.Apte--BD