• A drone strike on two ships in Bulgaria's Black Sea resulted in one sinking.
• The missing crew of the Togo-flagged vessel Alfa Watan remains unaccounted for.
• Bulgaria condemns the attacks as a violation of international and maritime law.
• The incident escalates concerns over maritime safety amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
• A total of 18 crew members aboard the Palau-flagged Able were rescued.

A drone attack on two commercial vessels in Bulgaria's Exclusive Economic Zone has led to the sinking of the Togo-flagged ship Alfa Watan and left its crew missing. Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the strikes, stating they violate international law and characterize a rising threat in the Black Sea. The attacks occurred about 70 miles off Bulgaria's coast, marking a worrying trend in maritime security in the context of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, according to Reuters, BBC, and India Times.

The vessel Alfa Watan suffered critical structural damage and reportedly sank immediately. Bulgarian authorities have launched extensive searches for the missing crew, although it remains unclear how many are affected. The second ship, the Able, which was involved in the strike, caught fire, but all 18 crew members were successfully rescued by a Bulgarian ferry, with two injured, according to India Times, Al Jazeera, and BBC.

Radev emphasized that such attacks are "absolutely unacceptable," reflecting the broad impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on Black Sea shipping. The ship's cargo status remains unclear, but Bulgarian officials are monitoring for potential environmental hazards, emphasizing that attacks like these disrupt critical maritime routes and raise shipping insurance costs significantly, as reported by Al Jazeera, Reuters, and India Times.