Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made an official statement regarding the brazen attack on civilian shipping in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. The head of state categorically rejected any accusations or hints of Ukraine's involvement in the incident, emphasizing that Ukrainian defense forces have not conducted any operations in this sector of the Black Sea. According to him, the full responsibility for the nighttime strike lies exclusively with the Russian Federation, which continues to systematically undermine navigation safety in the region.

Details of the Combined Attack and the Fate of the Cargo Ships

The incident occurred around 03:00 on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, approximately 70-80 nautical miles east of the Bulgarian coast in the Byala area. As a result of a massive combined attack using maritime and aerial drones, two civilian vessels were hit. The dry cargo ship ALFA WATAN sustained critical damage and sank, while the second vessel suffered serious destruction. A large-scale search and rescue operation by Bulgarian emergency services is underway at the scene, and the fate of the crew members of the sunken ship is being established.

Contradictory Data

While the Ukrainian side and intelligence data clearly point to a Russian trace in the combined attack using UAVs and uncrewed surface vessels, official Sofia has taken a more restrained stance. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Radev stated that at present there are no grounds to invoke Articles 4 and 5 of the NATO Treaty, and the attacking drones, according to preliminary assessments, could theoretically belong to either the Russian or Ukrainian side. In response, the Ukrainian President noted that the Ukrainian Navy has already established direct contact with Bulgarian colleagues to verify all facts and provide undeniable evidence of Russian aggression.

Escalation in the Black Sea and Reaction of International Partners

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that Moscow's aggressive actions are systematic and aimed at turning the western part of the Black Sea into a zone unfit for commercial shipping. Earlier, a similar strike targeted a vessel in Romanian territorial waters, regular drone incursions into Moldova's airspace have been recorded, and continuous shelling of Ukraine's port infrastructure persists. In this regard, Kyiv demands a tough and unambiguous reaction from the global community and NATO member states to the Kremlin's systemic provocations, which threaten global food security and stability in Europe.