Military prosecutors, divers search drone-hit ship Chelsea 3 in Bulgaria's Burgas

Inspections of the drone-damaged cargo ship Chelsea 3 continued on Monday at the port of Burgas-West, under the supervision of the Military District Prosecutor's Office in Sofia, which has opened pre-trial proceedings over the attack in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. Experts are to determine what weapons were used and where the drones came from. Divers are involved because one breach lies both above and below the waterline, Petrov said, and radiation measurements were taken, with no hazard reported. The vessel is under guard.

Captain Zhivko Petrov, head of the Maritime Administration in Burgas, said the hull has three large breaches, on both sides near midship and at the stern, where the engines are, which knocked out the steering. In his preliminary assessment all three were caused by explosions, "most likely a surface drone." He said the ship was empty. The vessel drifted for days before a difficult, state-funded towing operation brought it to Burgas.

The attacks on Black Sea shipping are also worrying farmers. Grain producers in the Plovdiv region told BNT that prices have fallen, with some 5 million tonnes of wheat awaiting export. There is no real alternative to sea transport and shipping via Thessaloniki would be unprofitable, one farmer said. Bulgarian trucks wait up to 160 hours at the Turkish border due to repairs, and the Union of International Carriers warns of disruption.