Drones struck two cargo ships in Bulgaria's Black Sea exclusive economic zone overnight before October 13, 2026, sinking the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity and damaging the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3. Eleven HS Dignity crew members were missing, while all 15 aboard Chelsea 3 were rescued; Bulgaria's prime minister said no attacker has been confirmed but that the outcome favours Russia.
What happened
Drones hit two commercial cargo ships in Bulgaria's Black Sea exclusive economic zone (EEZ) overnight, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. One ship sank; the other was damaged but stayed afloat.
The Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, a Ukrainian-owned, Odesa-registered general cargo ship sailing from Giresun in Turkey to Giurgiulești in Moldova, was struck by three drones on its deck and hull at about 1:30 a.m. local time, roughly 15 to 18 nautical miles off the town of Byala, south of Varna, according to Militarnyi and Euronews.
All 15 crew members aboard the Chelsea 3 — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — were rescued, with five treated for minor injuries. The damaged vessel was towed to the port of Varna, Euronews and Milletnews reported.
A second ship, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged general cargo vessel HS Dignity, was hit about 17 nautical miles off the village of Krapets on Bulgaria's northern coast and sank east of Cape Shabla, Novinite reported. Built in 2008 and 123 metres long, the ship was en route from Mostaganem, Algeria, to Brăila, Romania; it was managed by a Lebanon-based company and registered to a Marshall Islands-based owner, per Novinite.
Of the 16 people aboard HS Dignity, five were rescued — four taken aboard the nearby vessel Azov Concord and one picked up by the ship Skandi Asserter — while 11 remained missing, according to Novinite, the Irish Times and the Cyprus Mail.
Confusion over the sunk ship's identity
In the first hours of coverage, several outlets, drawing on initial Bulgarian accounts, named the sunk vessel as the Azov Concord (also spelled Azov Concorde), a Turkish-managed, St Vincent and Grenadines-flagged ship, according to Sofia Globe and the Cyprus Mail. Novinite subsequently reported that the Azov Concord had not been struck at all; it was one of the vessels assisting in the search-and-rescue operation, and the ship that sank was HS Dignity.
The two ships hit off Bulgaria on October 13, 2026
Ship
Flag
Fate
Crew
Rescued
Missing/injured
Chelsea 3
Malta (Ukrainian-owned)
Damaged, towed to Varna
15 (7 Ukrainian, 8 Azerbaijani)
15
5 with minor injuries
HS Dignity
Guinea-Bissau
Sank off Krapets, east of Cape Shabla
16
5
11 missing
Reactions and attribution
Radev said authorities had no clear evidence identifying who launched the drones but that the outcome favoured Russia. He said he would summon Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova and asked NATO and the European Union for technical assistance with the investigation and for enhanced surveillance of the area, according to Militarnyi and Milletnews.
This is absolutely unacceptable – another attack in the immediate vicinity of Bulgarian territorial waters.
— Rumen Radev, Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Mitrofanova said she had no information from Russia's defence ministry about the strikes and did not rule out that they could be "a provocation by a third party," Milletnews and NBC News reported. Russia's government issued no other immediate comment, according to Euronews.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attributed the attack to Russia directly, saying it showed Moscow's deliberate disregard for civilian lives and maritime security, per Euronews. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the Black Sea had become "another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine" and called for accountability, according to the Irish Times. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance would adjust its deterrence and defence posture in the region, Euronews reported.
A second attack within a week
The strikes came a week after an earlier drone attack on October 6 in the same Bulgarian EEZ, in which the Togo-flagged cargo ship Alfa Watan sank; nine Syrian sailors and one Egyptian crew member were reported lost at sea, and the Palau-flagged Able was hit and caught fire, with its 18 crew evacuated. Both ships were managed by Turkish companies, according to Novinite, NBC News and Milletnews.
Following the October 6 attack, London's Joint War Committee, which advises insurers on maritime risk, expanded its high-risk zone in the Black Sea to 411,200 square kilometres, Milletnews reported.
What remains unknown
As of Tuesday, Bulgarian officials had not identified who launched the drones in either the October 6 or October 13 incidents, and Russia's government had not issued a formal response, according to Euronews and Milletnews. The search for the 11 missing HS Dignity crew members was ongoing.
Questions
Which ships were hit off Bulgaria on October 13, 2026?
Drones struck the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3, which was damaged and towed to Varna, and the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity, which sank off the village of Krapets, according to Euronews and Novinite.
How many sailors are missing or hurt?
Eleven of the 16 crew aboard HS Dignity were missing, with five rescued. All 15 crew on the Chelsea 3 were rescued, five with minor injuries, per Novinite and Euronews.
Who is being blamed for the attack?
Bulgarian PM Rumen Radev said there was no clear evidence but that the outcome benefits Russia; Ukraine's foreign minister blamed Russia directly; Russia's ambassador said she had no information from Moscow's defence ministry and suggested a possible third-party provocation, according to Milletnews and NBC News.
Was a ship initially misidentified?
Yes. Early reports named the sunk vessel as the Azov Concord, but Novinite later reported that ship only took part in the rescue and that HS Dignity was the vessel that actually sank.
Had there been a similar attack before?
Yes, on October 6, 2026, drones hit the Alfa Watan, which sank with nine Syrian sailors and one Egyptian crew member reported lost at sea, and the Able, whose 18 crew were evacuated, in the same Bulgarian maritime zone, according to Novinite, NBC News and Milletnews.
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