A civilian cargo ship has sunk after a drone attack in the Black Sea, leaving its crew missing.
It is raising fresh concerns over the safety of commercial shipping.
If even civilian vessels are becoming targets, how far can the danger spread?
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the Togo-flagged Alfa Watan, a Turkish-owned cargo ship heading toward Romania, was attacked.
The attack happened about 112km off Bulgaria’s coast.
Rescue teams found an overturned boat, rafts and life jackets, but no crew members.
A second vessel, the Palau-flagged Able, was also hit while carrying grain. Bulgaria’s sailors rescued all 18 crew members, including two injured in a fire.
Eleven were Turkish nationals and seven were Indian.
Maritime Safety Concerns
Radev called the incident “a flagrant violation of maritime law.”
He warned that the Ukraine war could continue expanding geographically if it is not stopped.
No one has been officially blamed for the attacks.
However, they come amid intensified Russian strikes in the Black Sea and a series of recent incidents involving commercial vessels.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the situation was “increasingly concerning,” adding that attacks on civilian shipping were “unacceptable.”
With trade routes now caught in the crossfire, the question is no longer just who controls the sea.
But how safe is it for anyone to sail through it?
