Bulgaria ends search for crew of drone-hit ship, confirms six Syrian sailors missing

Bulgaria’s Maritime Administration declared the search for the crew of a ship destroyed by a drone in the Black Sea to be permanently ended, stating that no trace of the sailors remains. Vice Admiral Rumen Nikolov explained that the impact caused the vessel to sink almost immediately, making surface survival impossible. Syrian officials in Latakia verified that six Syrian mariners were on board the sunken ship.

Two other crew members were rescued; one was hospitalized in Varna with serious injuries, while the rest were examined and released, now housed in a hotel at the shipowner’s expense. Debris recovered includes a boat, three life rafts and ship equipment, but no drone fragments. Ongoing investigations mean the rescued sailors’ departure from Bulgaria is still uncertain.