Russian envoy tells Radev she cannot rule out third-party provocation

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev met Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova at the Council of Ministers on Tuesday after new drone strikes on merchant ships off the Bulgarian coast. According to the government press office, Radev said Bulgaria had no conclusive evidence of where the drones came from, but that it made no sense for Ukraine to destroy its own ships and that the attacks benefited Russia. Mitrofanova replied that she understood that reasoning but had no information from Russia's Defense Ministry, and did not rule out a provocation by a third party.

Radev called the attacks "absolutely unacceptable" and said Bulgaria would open talks with Romania and Turkey on joint proposals for safe navigation in the Black Sea. The government said shipping risks and insurance premiums had risen, some operators were refusing cargo to Bulgarian ports, and oil supplies to the Burgas refinery were becoming costlier and at risk. According to bTV's own sources, the ship that sank off Krapets is the HS Dignity; there is no official confirmation. The Dobrich regional governor said five sailors were rescued and 11 remain missing; other reports give differing figures.

European Council President Antonio Costa called the attacks on civilian shipping completely unacceptable and said Russia's hybrid activities would be discussed at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke with Radev and said the alliance would keep working closely with allies in the region. The daily Sega described the meeting with the ambassador as a failure.