Drone-struck unmanned ship is drifting off Bulgaria's Shabla in the Black Sea

Bulgarian Navy helicopters have located a drifting cargo vessel in the Black Sea, 40 km east of Cape Shabla. The motor vessel EMIL was struck by a drone near the city of Odesa on 5 August. Following a fire and the failure of its technical systems, the vessel became unable to manoeuvre and was abandoned by its crew, BTA reports.

Since then, the vessel has been drifting in Romania’s exclusive economic zone and, under the influence of sea currents, has been moving southwards towards Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone.

The Bulgarian Navy has issued a navigational warning to vessels operating in the area about a hazardous vessel adrift without control and without a crew in the specified area.

Monitoring of the vessel is continuing, and the authorities are prepared to take the necessary action, the Bulgarian Navy said in a statement.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov