Drones sink ships near NATO countries in “unacceptable” attacks, EU says
Two cargo ships were sunk and a third was damaged by drone attacks in the exclusive economic zones of NATO member states Bulgaria and Romania. The incidents resulted in the deaths of at least two sailors and left others missing or injured, marking a significant escalation in Black Sea maritime security. While the EU condemned the attacks as unacceptable, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy attributed the strikes to Russian combined aerial and sea drone operations.
- ▪The Togo-flagged Alfa Watan and Palau-flagged Able were attacked by drones approximately 80 miles off the coast of Bulgaria on October 6, 2026.
- ▪The Turkish-owned Royad Mammadov was struck by drones in Romania's exclusive economic zone on October 5, killing two crew members.
- ▪Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev described the incidents as a blatant violation of international and maritime law.
- ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a joint investigation with the Bulgarian navy identified the attacks as a Russian combined operation using sea and aerial drones.
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| Publication time | Tue, 06 Oct 2026 21:31:10 +0000 |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
“This business will get out of control” Drones sink ships near NATO countries in “unacceptable” attacks, EU says Two cargo ships have sunk, one ship was afire, and sailors are dead or missing. Jeremy Hsu – Oct 6, 2026 5:31 pm | 11 A long trail of dark smoke drifts across the horizon from a commercial grain cargo ship struck by a Russian drone attack in the Black Sea off the coast of Odesa, Ukraine, on July 14. Credit: Iuliia Kuzmina / iStock Editorial / Getty Images A long trail of dark smoke drifts across the horizon from a commercial grain cargo ship struck by a Russian drone attack in the Black Sea off the coast of Odesa, Ukraine, on July 14.
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