Strike · Bulgaria
Bulgaria reports drone strike on ship CHELSEA 3 off Byala; crew rescued
· Off Byala · CHELSEA 3 drone strike
Officially reported aerial-drone strike and rescue; operator unresolved
Overnight on 13 October 2026 the Maltese-flagged merchant ship CHELSEA 3 was struck by drones in the Black Sea, reportedly 18 nautical miles east of Byala in Varna Province, within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone and outside its territorial waters. According to the crew’s account, relayed by Bulgaria’s prime minister, three aerial drones hit the deck and hull. A distress notification reached Varna’s maritime rescue centre at 01:30 local time.
The operator and nationality are unresolved. Radev said the evidence was insufficient to accuse either belligerent; he argued that the attacks benefit Russia, but that argument and planned diplomatic consultations do not establish Russian responsibility. The ship is reportedly Ukrainian-owned and registered in Odessa, which is separate from the question of who attacked it.
Border Police evacuated all 15 crew, seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis, who were brought to Varna; five were treated for initially reported minor injuries, and no deaths were reported. The ship was damaged and its final condition is unconfirmed. On the same day, another vessel was reported struck and sunk east of Krapets.
Attribution and uncertainty
- Origin / operator / attribution
- Operator and nationality unresolved. Radev said evidence was insufficient to accuse either belligerent. His argument that the attacks benefit Russia and planned diplomatic consultations do not establish Russian responsibility.
- Investigation / uncertainty
- High confidence in the published official strike/rescue account; no independently examined drone remains or flight tracks. Weapon identity and ship outcome remain pending. Nationality of crew, ship flag, ownership and attacker are separate facts.
Sources · 2
Full record
Strike: reported damaging drone attack, shown in red. This classification does not infer an explosion, drone crash or sovereign-territory incursion.
Rounded editorial estimate east of Byala, not a verified ship position or maritime-boundary determination. Offshore jurisdiction follows the reporting.
Map positions are approximate anchors for the named place, not verified incident coordinates.
- Reported date
- 2026-10-13
- Record type
- reported_offshore_drone_strike
- Date basis
- Overnight 13 October incident. The 01:30 local distress notification is a response timestamp, not an independently verified strike time.
- Location / jurisdiction
- Black Sea, reportedly 18 nautical miles east of Byala, Varna Province; Bulgarian EEZ, outside territorial waters.
- Event categories
- Merchant-vessel drone strike; damage; crew evacuation; reported minor injuries
- What was reported
- The prime minister reported strikes on the deck and hull. Varna’s maritime rescue centre responded to the distress call and Border Police evacuated the crew.
- Aircraft / vessel / quantity
- Three aerial drones, models unknown, according to the crew account relayed by the prime minister. CHELSEA 3 is Maltese-flagged and reportedly Ukrainian-owned, registered in Odessa.
- Origin / operator / attribution
- Operator and nationality unresolved. Radev said evidence was insufficient to accuse either belligerent. His argument that the attacks benefit Russia and planned diplomatic consultations do not establish Russian responsibility.
- Damage / casualties / disruption
- Vessel damaged; final condition unconfirmed. All 15 crew rescued: seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis. Five received medical treatment for initially reported minor injuries. No deaths reported.
- Response / outcome
- Crew brought to Varna. No interception, drone recovery or EOD action reported.
- Investigation / uncertainty
- High confidence in the published official strike/rescue account; no independently examined drone remains or flight tracks. Weapon identity and ship outcome remain pending. Nationality of crew, ship flag, ownership and attacker are separate facts.
- Route / entry mechanism
- Drone launch sites and flight tracks unknown. Reported offshore location does not establish a territorial-airspace crossing.
- Explosive payload
- Weapon model and payload unestablished; no explicit explosion finding in the reviewed reports.
- Counting / links
- One attack-and-rescue record involving three reported UAVs. Distinct from N080 off Krapets and the 6 October ALFA WATAN / ABLE attack recorded under N073.
- Research provenance
- Added and reviewed 2026-10-13 against BNR Radio Varna and BgVesti reporting of the prime minister’s account (U050–U051). Coverage ends at the supplied 08:58 EEST check; details remain preliminary.
Record N079 · reviewed 13 October 2026. Record fields keep the register’s original wording.