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SOFIA: Bulgarian authorities launched a major search on Tuesday for the missing crew of a ship that sank in the Black Sea after drones hit two vessels in what the prime minister slammed as an \u201cabsolutely unacceptable\u201d attack.<\/p>\n
The dual strike came a day after another ship caught fire and sank off the Romanian coast \u2014 killing one and leaving one missing \u2014 in what Ukraine said was a drone attack launched by Russia. Black Sea shipping has been hit by growing fallout from the Ukraine-Russia war in recent months.<\/p>\n
A search operation was launched 70 nautical miles east of the coastal town of Byala, authorities said.<\/p>\n
The ship that sank was the Togolese-flagged Alfa Watan, according to the Maritime.bg specialized website.<\/p>\n
The second ship, the Able, registered in Palau, was set on fire but its Turkish and Indian crew members have been rescued.<\/p>\n
Both vessels are Turkish-owned, according to the Equasis merchant shipping database.<\/p>\n
A Bulgarian ferry that witnessed the explosion and rushed to the scene discovered overturned life rafts and life jackets near the ship that sank, but no crew have been found, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told reporters. He did not specify how many people were missing.<\/p>\n
The attack \u201cconstitutes a flagrant violation of maritime law and, more broadly, of the rules of navigation,\u201d Radev said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch an attack within Bulgaria\u2019s exclusive economic zone is absolutely unacceptable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Eighteen crew \u2014 11 Turkish and seven Indian \u2014 were rescued from the Able. Two were hospitalized, one suffering from burns and one from a head injury.<\/p>\n
– \u2018Very concerning\u2019 –<\/p>\n
European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen also called attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea \u201cunacceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile exact circumstances of these incidents are still being established, the developments are very concerning,\u201d von der Leyen wrote online.<\/p>\n
According to the available information, the Able was carrying wheat and heading south, while the Alfa Watan was sailing north, Radev said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe situation significantly complicates navigation in the Black Sea, drives up insurance premiums, and makes maritime traffic extremely difficult,\u201d Radev said before convening an emergency meeting of ministers.<\/p>\n
Romania reported on Monday that a grain ship had caught fire and sank in the Black Sea.<\/p>\n
Ukraine blamed the attack on the Turkish-owned Royal Mammadov on Russia.<\/p>\n
The Azerbaijani captain died, while one Azerbaijani crew member remains missing, according to Azerbaijan\u2019s foreign ministry, as cited by Russia\u2019s Ria Novosti news agency.<\/p>\n
Amid mounting fallout from Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, incidents involving drones have become increasingly frequent in recent months across eastern European countries.<\/p>\n
The conflict has also spread across the eastern Black Sea.<\/p>\n
At least 45 merchant vessels have been attacked over the past 12 months in areas of the Black Sea previously not listed as high-risk, maritime risk expert Ambrey said last month.<\/p>\n
No strikes were recorded in the areas in the preceding 12 months, Ambrey said, adding that the increase was driven by attacks further from the coasts of Russia and Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Turkiye\u2019s Chamber of Maritime Commerce (IMEAK) said in August that since the start of the war, 226 civilian and commercial vessels have been attacked in the Black Sea, the vast majority this year.<\/p>\n
It is the first such incident off Bulgaria.<\/p>\n
A drone exploded in August close to the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline linking Turkiye to Ukraine near the Romanian border in Bulgaria.<\/p>\n
Ukraine denied targeting Bulgaria after Bulgaria\u2019s defense ministry said the drone was of a type \u201cwidely used by the Ukrainian military\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n