Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev will summon the Russian ambassador following drone attacks on two vessels, one of which had Azerbaijani and Ukrainian nationals on board in the Black Sea off the Bulgarian coast, Report informs.
In a post on X, he said one of the targeted vessels, the Malta-flagged Chelsea 3, which is owned by Ukraine, was damaged in a strike involving three drones. All 15 crew members, including seven Ukrainian and eight Azerbaijani citizens, were evacuated to the port of Varna. Five of them are receiving medical treatment.
"Our permanent representatives to NATO and the EU have been informed. Bulgaria continues to seek support for investigating these attacks to establish the country of origin of the drones. We are also requesting assistance to strengthen surveillance of our airspace and maritime areas and improve our response capabilities," Radev said.
The prime minister stressed that Bulgaria currently has no clear and conclusive evidence establishing responsibility for the attack. However, he said the circumstances suggest that Russia stands to benefit from its outcome.
Radev also said that an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council under the Council of Ministers had received information about a second vessel that was struck 17 nautical miles east of Krapets.
The vessel sank, and one crew member was rescued, he added.