\n<\/p>\n
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the attacks happened at around 3 a.m., approximately 80 miles (128 kilometres) off Bulgaria\u2019s coast.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an unacceptable attack in Bulgaria\u2019s exclusive economic zone. It is a blatant violation of international law and maritime law,\u201d Radev said after an emergency government meeting.<\/p>\n
The Togo flagged Alfa Watan<\/strong> suffered critical structural damage and sank at the scene. Authorities had no immediate information about the fate of its crew.<\/p>\n The second vessel, the Palau flagged Able<\/strong>, caught fire following the attack.<\/p>\n A Bulgarian ferry reached the ship and evacuated all 18 crew members. Two sailors suffered severe injuries and were flown to a hospital in Varna.<\/p>\n Bulgarian authorities have not established who launched the drones.<\/p>\n According to the information available, the Able<\/strong> was carrying wheat and travelling south, while the Alfa Watan<\/strong> was heading north. The cargo aboard the sunken vessel was not immediately known.<\/p>\n Authorities are also monitoring the area for possible oil spills or other environmental pollution.<\/p>\n Radev said Bulgaria was obliged to launch search and rescue operations because the attacks occurred inside the country\u2019s exclusive economic zone, regardless of who was responsible.<\/p>\n The incident marks a major escalation for commercial shipping in the Black Sea, with the Bulgarian government warning that attacks are disrupting maritime traffic and increasing already elevated insurance costs.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is happening is seriously disrupting shipping in the Black Sea, driving up insurance costs even further and making shipping extremely difficult,\u201d Radev said.<\/p>\n The attack comes amid heightened tensions across the Black Sea, where commercial vessels have increasingly faced the risk of drone and missile attacks linked to the wider war involving Russia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n