The waters of the Black Sea have once again come under the spotlight following an incident that took place on 13 October off the Bulgarian coast. Two merchant vessels were attacked by drones, leading to tragic consequences. One of them, the ‘Chelsea 3’, sustained damage, but all 15 crew members were rescued. However, the second vessel, the ‘HS Dignity’, sank, and 11 seafarers are listed as missing.
During his speech in Brussels, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev expressed serious concerns about the incident. He emphasised that, although Bulgaria has no clear evidence of any state’s involvement, the consequences of the attacks clearly play into Russia’s hands. Radev reported that Bulgarian experts had already inspected the ‘Chelsea 3’, but had failed to find any traces of drones. The vessel will now be taken to the port of Burgas for a more thorough investigation.
Bulgaria has decided to take action on the international stage by initiating, jointly with Romania, a discussion at EU level on imposing a moratorium on strikes against civilian vessels in the Black Sea. Radev proposed involving Turkey in these discussions, emphasising the strategic importance of the Black Sea for international freight transport, including the supply of food and energy resources.
The European Council meeting, at which attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea were described as a serious breach of international law, appears to be of the utmost importance. Although the draft conclusions of the EU summit make no mention of a moratorium, the European Council calls for the immediate guarantee of safe passage for vessels carrying grain.
Against the backdrop of this tense situation, Russia has intensified its strikes on Ukrainian ports. Moscow describes this as a response to Ukraine’s actions and has so far refused to make any concessions. President Vladimir Putin, despite international concerns about a potential grain shortage and the threat of famine in the poorest countries, has ruled out the possibility of reaching agreements to halt the attacks.
The situation in the Black Sea remains extremely unstable, and the international community must find a solution to prevent further escalation of the conflict in this strategically important region.