Ship sinks off Bulgaria's Krapets, 11 missing; Radev summons Russian ambassador

A merchant ship sank after being attacked overnight about 17 nautical miles east of Krapets in Bulgaria's Dobrich region, the regional administration said, according to BTA news agency. Five sailors were rescued and 11 people remain unaccounted for. Four were picked up by one vessel and a fifth by another ship nearby; they are being taken to Varna. Authorities have not officially named the ship or its flag.

Hours earlier, the Maltese-flagged cargo ship Chelsea 3 was hit by three aerial drones about 18 nautical miles east of Byala, according to the crew. All 15 crew members, seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, were evacuated to Varna. The Defense Ministry said three are being treated for second-degree burns at the military hospital and their lives are not in danger.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev called an emergency meeting of the government's Security Council and described the latest attack on merchant ships as absolutely unacceptable. He said there was no solid evidence to accuse any party, but that the logic pointed to Russia benefiting, and that he would summon Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova on Tuesday and speak with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attacks, saying the Black Sea had become another front of escalation in Russia's war in Ukraine.