Archive · 7 Oct 2026
Bulgaria Halts Search After Black Sea Drone Attack Sinks Ship
Drones hit two ships in the Black Sea near Bulgaria early Tuesday.
One ship, the Alfa Watan, sank, and the other, the Able, was damaged and caught fire.
All 18 people on the Able were rescued, including seven Indians.
Two of them went to hospital with injuries.
Bulgarian rescuers searched for the Alfa Watan’s crew and found a boat, life rafts and pieces of the ship, but no sailors.
On Wednesday, Bulgaria stopped the search.
Officials did not say how many people from the sunken ship were missing.
Bulgaria’s prime minister said it was not clear where the drones came from, while Ukraine’s president said an investigation blamed Russia.
Two ships were hit by drones early Tuesday about 70 nautical miles off Bulgaria; the Alfa Watan sank and the Able was damaged and caught fire.
All 18 people aboard the Able, including seven Indians and 11 Turkish nationals, were rescued; two were taken to hospital in Varna.
Bulgaria halted the search for the Alfa Watan’s crew on Wednesday after rescuers found a boat, three life rafts and ship equipment, but no sailors.
Officials did not provide a confirmed number of missing crew members or identify who carried out the attack.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the drones’ origin was unclear, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said a joint investigation attributed the attack to Russia.
- Who
- The crews of the Alfa Watan and Able; Bulgarian authorities and rescue teams.
- What
- Drones hit two ships; the Alfa Watan sank, the Able was damaged, and Bulgaria later halted its search for the sunken ship’s crew.
- When
- The attack occurred early Tuesday; Bulgaria halted the search on Wednesday, October 7.
- Where
- About 70 nautical miles off Bulgaria, in its Black Sea search-and-rescue zone and exclusive economic zone.
- Why
- The articles do not establish the motive or definitively identify who carried out the attack; the circumstances remain disputed.
Attribution remains disputed
Different claims about responsibility
Who carried out the attack?
Attribution remains disputed
Rumen Radev said it was unclear whether the drones came from Russia or Ukraine, and the attack’s circumstances were still being investigated.
Different claims about responsibility
Volodymyr Zelenskiy said an investigation conducted jointly with Bulgaria’s navy showed that Russia was behind the attack.
- Ships
- Alfa Watan, flying the Togo flag, and Able, registered in Palau; both were reported as Turkish-owned.
- Attack location
- About 70 nautical miles (130 km) off Bulgaria, near Byala.
- Able crew
- All 18 were rescued: 11 Turkish nationals and seven Indians.
- Injuries
- Two Able crew members were taken to hospital in Varna; one had burns and the other a head injury.
- Search findings
- A boat, three life rafts and parts of the sunken ship’s equipment were found; no sailors were located.
- Search status
- Bulgaria halted the search for the Alfa Watan’s crew on Wednesday.
- Attribution
- Rumen Radev said the drones’ origin was unclear; Volodymyr Zelenskiy said an investigation jointly with Bulgaria’s navy found Russia responsible.
- Bulgarian response
- Radev said the government would approve the purchase of five more surface-to-air missile systems.
