Bulgarian border police rescued crew members from a cargo ship hit by drone strikes on Tuesday (October 13), as another vessel sank in the Black Sea, leaving 11 sailors missing in what appears to be possibly the second deadly attack in the area within a week.

Footage from the Bulgarian Interior Ministry showed Bulgarian authorities approaching the damaged Chelsea 3 vessel and conducting rescue operations on deck in rough sea conditions.

The Chelsea 3, sailing under a Maltese flag, was hit by three drones overnight, Bulgarian officials said. All crew from that ship — seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis — were rescued and none seriously injured.

A week ago nine Syrian sailors and one Egyptian were lost at sea from a ship that sank when hit by drones in Bulgaria's Black Sea exclusive economic zone. Another ship was also hit that night but the crew was rescued.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

GIVEN AS BLACK SEA (RELEASED OCTOBER 13, 2026)(BULGARIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY - Access all)

1. BULGARIAN BORDER POLICE APPROACHING VESSEL CHELSEA 3 THAT WAS HIT BY DRONE

GIVEN AS BLACK SEA (RELEASED OCTOBER 13, 2026) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT) (BULGARIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY - Access all. Music not cleared for use. Please check with your applicable collecting society or relevant rights holders in your territory regarding clearance of any sound recordings.)

2. VARIOUS OF RESCUE OPERATION ON DECK

3. VARIOUS OF RESCUE TEAM MOVING AROUND SHIP'S BRIDGE AND INTERNAL ROOMS

4. AFTERMATH OF VESSEL HIT BY DRONE

GIVEN AS BLACK SEA (RELEASED OCTOBER 13, 2026)(BULGARIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY-Access all)

5. VARIOUS OF VESSEL CHELSEA 3 THAT WAS HIT BY DRONE