London/Bulgaria — Fourteen Syrian nationals were among the 16 crew members aboard the Guinea‑Bissau‑flagged cargo vessel HS Dignity when the ship was struck by a drone attack in the Black Sea and sank early Tuesday, according to the Syrian Sailors Union. Bulgarian authorities confirmed the vessel went down about 15 nautical miles east of the village of Krapets, resulting in five survivors and 11 crew members still missing.
The union told Syrian television that an aerial drone and two unmanned surface vessels attacked the ship. Bulgarian rescue services deployed six boats and two helicopters to search for the missing sailors. Meanwhile, a separate assault targeted the Ukrainian‑owned, Maltese‑flagged Chelsea 3 near the Bulgarian town of Byala, though all 15 crew members were rescued and brought to Varna.
The incident follows two earlier drone strikes on commercial vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone on Oct. 6, which sank the Togo‑flagged Alpha Watan and damaged the Palau‑flagged Ebel. All 18 crew members of the Ebel were saved, but casualty figures for the Alpha Watan remain disputed between Syrian and Bulgarian sources.
Syria has called for an “independent and transparent” investigation into the HS Dignity sinking, while Bulgaria summoned the Russian ambassador in response to the series of attacks. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Moscow of targeting merchant vessels and threatening maritime security in the Black Sea.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said his country lacks conclusive evidence to pinpoint the perpetrators, though he noted that the attacks benefit Russian interests. Moscow has denied involvement in the latest incident and previously rejected responsibility for the Oct. 6 strikes.
Updated: October 14, 2026, 01:48.