Drone strike sinks ship in NATO waters as Zelenskyy warns of looming ‘massive strike’
A cargo ship sank and a second vessel caught fire in a combined aerial and maritime drone attack inside Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.
TL;DR
- A commercial cargo ship, the Alfa Watan, sank and a second vessel, the ABLE, caught fire in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone due to suspected Russian drone attacks.
- The attacks involved both aerial and maritime drones, a combination described by an expert as a dangerous escalation and potential indicator of Russia's larger invasion posture.
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy blamed Russia for the strikes and warned of an imminent "massive strike" from Moscow, urging international support for Ukraine's defense.
- The incident occurred approximately 70 nautical miles off the Bulgarian coast, bringing the conflict into NATO member waters and causing disruption to a crucial shipping corridor.
- The second vessel, carrying grain, had 18 seafarers evacuated; two were injured, while the remaining 16 were safely transported ashore.