Drones strike merchant vessels in Black Sea off Bulgaria and Ukraine, killing at least one

Drones reportedly struck several merchant vessels in the Black Sea on Oct. 6, including two ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. A Russian strike on a separate civilian vessel killed at least one crew member and injured several others.

One crew member, a steward, was killed, and seven others were injured when a Russian drone struck a merchant vessel flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Black Sea, according to Odesa Oblast Governor Oleh Kiper. The vessel was carrying rapeseed oil and was damaged in the strike, with a fire breaking out in the superstructure.

"By deliberately targeting civilian shipping and port infrastructure, Russia is grossly violating the norms of international law, thereby posing a threat to global food security," Kiper said.

Separately, two merchant ships, the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan and the Palau-flagged Able, were hit by drones of unknown origin about 112 kilometers (70 miles) off Bulgaria's coast on Oct. 6, according to Bulgarian broadcaster Nova. The incident is believed to be the first reported drone attack on commercial shipping inside Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.

The Togo-flagged vessel suffered severe structural damage and sank. The fate of its crew remains unknown, with the search for survivors continuing. NOVA reported that life jackets had been spotted near the vessel, but no people had been found.

The second vessel caught fire following the attack. All 18 crew members were rescued by a Bulgarian ferry. Two sailors were seriously injured, one with severe burns, the other with a head injury. The crew members are Indian and Turkish nationals, according to Nova.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev convened an emergency meeting with representatives of state institutions following the attacks. He described the attacks as a "gross violation of international law" and warned that such attacks pose growing risks to Black Sea shipping, increase insurance costs, and further complicate maritime transport.

The incidents come amid a growing number of attacks and incidents involving civilian shipping in the Black Sea, raising concerns over the security of one of the region's key trade routes.

A day earlier, on Oct. 5, a cargo ship caught fire in the Black Sea off the Romanian coast after a Russian drone strike killed two people and injured at least 11 others, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation.

After Romanian media and authorities initially reported a fire on the grain ship Royad Mammadov, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a civilian ship was attacked by two Russian drones, adding that it was a Turkish-owned ship transporting corn.