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Ship sinks off Bulgaria after drone attack in Black Sea | News

Aljazeera • October 6, 2026

A Togo-flagged merchant ship sank off Bulgaria after a drone attack, with its crew missing. A second ship was also hit and its crew was rescued. Bulgaria’s prime minister called the attacks a ‘flagrant violation’ of international and maritime law.

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Drone Attack Sinks Ship in Bulgaria's Black Sea Waters On October 6, 2026, two commercial vessels were attacked by drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, resulting in the sinking of the Togo-flagged ship Alfa Watan and severe damage to the Palau-flagged Able. The Bulgarian Prime Minister, Rumen Radev, condemned the incident as a blatant violation of international law. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of orchestrating the attack, which is seen as part of a broader escalation in the ongoing conflict. The crew of the Alfa Watan remains missing, while 18 crew members from the Able were rescued, with two sustaining injuries. The attacks have raised concerns about the safety of maritime operations in the Black Sea, complicating shipping logistics and increasing insurance costs. Investigations into the origin of the drones are ongoing, but no definitive attribution has been made yet. 50 sources 72

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