Three drones struck a cargo ship, another sank: Bulgaria investigates attacks in the Black Sea

The military prosecutor's office of Bulgaria has begun an investigation into possible war crimes related to drone attacks on cargo ships in the Black Sea. This was reported on Friday, October 16, by the LETA agency citing AFP. The investigation was prompted by attacks on civilian vessels that occurred this week off the Bulgarian coast. As a result of one of them, 11 sailors lost their lives. On Tuesday, three drones hit the cargo ship Chelsea 3, which was sailing under the Maltese flag. There were 15 crew members on board, all of whom were rescued. The damaged vessel subsequently docked in port. Another ship sank after the attack. 11 crew members perished. ## The prosecutor's office is investigating whether there was an order to kill the crew According to a statement from the Bulgarian military prosecutor's office, investigators intend to establish the circumstances of the attack on Chelsea 3. In particular, it is being investigated whether orders were given to kill crew members and cause extensive damage to the vessel. So far, this concerns alleged war crimes. The prosecutor's statement does not mention any identified perpetrators or a final legal qualification of the incident. Official complaints regarding the attacks have been filed by two non-governmental organizations — the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and the Bulgarian Human Rights Lawyers Fund. ## Bulgaria summoned the Russian ambassador After the attacks, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev summoned the Russian ambassador in Sofia. Throughout October, at least four vessels off the coast of Bulgaria and at least two more off the coast of Romania have been subjected to attacks. The series of incidents has raised concerns about the safety of civilian shipping in the Black Sea. ## NATO countries will discuss the attacks Romanian President Nicușor Dan stated on Thursday that NATO countries will discuss the drone strikes on vessels in the Black Sea next week. Earlier, the Romanian leader linked the events to the ongoing war of Russia against Ukraine. According to him, the attacks are "direct consequences of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine." So far, it has not been reported what specific decisions may be made following the discussions in NATO.