Overview
- Sea- and air-launched drones struck two merchant vessels about 70 nautical miles east of Byala on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and one ship identified as the Alfa Watan, sailing under Togo’s flag, was fatally damaged and sank with its crew unaccounted for.
- Rescue teams suspended the search for the missing Alfa Watan crew after recovering an overturned lifeboat and life jackets and recovering no survivors or bodies.
- The second ship, Able under Palau’s flag, caught fire but its full 18-member crew was saved by the nearby ferry Dioscuria and two people were treated in Varna for serious injuries.
- Bulgarian military and coastguard units were deployed to the scene and authorities have opened an investigation but say they have not identified who fired the drones or publicly confirmed recovery of drone wreckage.
- The attack adds to a growing pattern of drone incidents in the Black Sea since 2022, with the Turkish Chamber of Shipping reporting hundreds of such events this year and raising concerns about insurance, trade disruption, and maritime safety.