One merchant vessel has sunk and its unit is missing aft a drone onslaught successful the Black Sea, Bulgarian officials say.
A 2nd vas - carrying atom - was besides deed wrong Bulgaria's exclusive economical zone, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said. Its unit of 18 were rescued.
Radev did not accidental who was down the attacks, which travel arsenic Russia intensifies strikes successful the Black Sea arsenic portion of its warfare against Ukraine.
Moscow has not commented connected the latest incident, a time aft it was accused by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of striking a civilian vas carrying corn.
Air and oversea drones were progressive successful the attacks astatine astir 03:00 (23:00 GMT), immoderate 70 miles (112 km) disconnected the coastal municipality of Byala successful eastbound Bulgaria, Radev said.
The sunken vessel was flying nether the emblem of Togo, helium said.
A Bulgarian vas was adjacent by, but erstwhile they arrived each they saw was an overturned vessel and rafts arsenic good arsenic beingness jackets. It was not wide however galore unit members were connected board. A hunt cognition has been launched. The vessel's cargo was not instantly known.
Radev said Bulgarian sailors had rescued the unit members from the 2nd vessel - including 2 who were injured successful a occurrence connected board. Eleven were Turkish and 7 Indian nationals. The vas was carrying grain.
Radev condemned the strikes arsenic "a flagrant usurpation of maritime law".
He told reporters: "Such an onslaught wrong the Bulgarian exclusive economical portion is perfectly unacceptable."
Bulgaria's exclusive economical portion successful the Black Sea is conscionable implicit 29,000 sq km (11,197 sq miles), astir 6% of the full size of the Black Sea.
A abstracted onslaught connected Tuesday, adjacent Odesa, saw a unit subordinate killed and 7 much injured. The vessel was flying the emblem of the Marshall Islands, according to Ukrainian media.
On Sunday, Russia's defence ministry said it would intensify its strikes crossed Ukraine successful effect to comments made by Zelensky earlier past week, successful which helium said Kyiv would ramp up its attacks connected Russian lipid refineries.
Russia launched a full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022.
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