Two merchant vessels were attacked by drones off Bulgaria on the night of October 13, highlighting rising security risks along a key route for Black Sea agricultural trade. The Odessa-registered, Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3 was damaged approximately 33 km from the Bulgarian coast while sailing from Turkey to Romania. All 15 crew members—seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis—were rescued. The Azov Concord was attacked and sank about 31 km offshore, with only one crew member rescued.
The incidents follow several attacks on commercial shipping in the western Black Sea. On October 5, the Royad Mammadov, carrying corn from Izmail to Italy, was hit by Russian drones near Romania and sank. Two further vessels were attacked in Bulgaria’s economic zone on October 6.
No cargo information was provided for the latest vessels, and responsibility remains unconfirmed. However, repeated incidents could increase war-risk premiums, insurance costs, routing constraints and voyage delays for Ukrainian grain shipments through the Black Sea and Danube-linked corridors, particularly via Izmail, Constanta and Romanian waters. Any sustained disruption would be commercially significant for regional exporters and Mediterranean buyers.