Romania has reacted to the attack on two commercial ships in the Black Sea, announcing that one crew member is missing. The attacks occurred last night, and 18 sailors have been rescued. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing.
Details of the Attack and Officials' Reactions
Romania's Prime Minister, Rumen Radev, convened a special government meeting and described the attacks as "completely unacceptable" and a "serious violation of international law." Although he did not officially point to the perpetrator of these attacks, reports widely attribute them to Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also referenced this issue in his media messages.
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Radev further stated: "If this war does not end in a timely manner, its scope will expand, and the risk of a global conflict will increase." He also referred to Bulgaria's geographical position, which is at a critical point in the Black Sea and is over 140 nautical miles from Ukraine.
Location of the Attacks and Status of the Ships
According to reports, the Bulgarian ferry, Dioscuria, was present about 70 nautical miles east of Byala in eastern Bulgaria at the time of the attacks. Bulgarian officials stated that these attacks included aerial and naval assaults using drones.
The crew of this ship observed the explosion and went to the incident area, which officials emphasized was in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The navy, air force, and border police also responded to the situation.
The crew of the ferry reported seeing an overturned lifeboat, three lifeboats, and life jackets in the water but were unable to find any crew members. The ship identified as Alfa Watan, weighing 3,160 tons, is likely to have sunk. This ship, built in 1976, is registered in Togo and was en route from Egypt to Sulina, Romania.
Bulgarian forces also responded to another ship that had caught fire and assisted in rescuing 18 crew members from Turkey and India. Two of these individuals were seriously injured and were transferred to a hospital in Varna. The other 16 crew members were taken to shore by a border patrol boat.
The second ship has been identified as "Able," built in 1991 and registered in Palau. According to news sources, this ship was carrying a cargo of wheat to Italy.
Bulgarian officials announced that the search for the crew of the first ship is still ongoing, and the number of missing persons is yet to be determined.
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