Bulgaria Reports Discovery of Human Remains on Ship Hit by Drone
Bulgarian officials confirmed over the weekend that human remains had been located on one of the vessels that was struck off the coast of Romania last month in apparent Russian attacks on merchant shipping. Romania and Bulgaria are cooperating on the investigation into the attacks on the ships.
The Varna District Prosecutor’s Office announced the discovery of human remains aboard the Wine Trader, a 6,259 dwt tanker that was struck on October 15 while it was anchored approximately 13 nautical miles off the coast of Romania. The vessel had been near Sulina, reportedly waiting for clearance to proceed on the Danube when it was struck that morning by what appeared to be three drones. The crew called the Romanian authorities for assistance.
Romania was able to rescue five seafarers from the ship, reporting that it was badly fire-damaged. Seven other crewmembers were reported missing.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the ship was accepted for repairs at a ship repair yard in Varna, Bulgaria, and towed to the yard in early November. During an effort to clear the wreckage, it said “severely damaged human remains” were found. It said DNA testing had been ordered to clarify the identities of the deceased.
Bulgarian media is quoting the Interior Ministry, saying that it believes six of the seven missing seafarers had been located aboard the ship. It said the remains were severely burned. Romania is leading an investigation, and it said that the Varna District Prosecutor’s Office would continue to work on the case.
The ship, which was built in 1989 and is registered in San Marino, was one of at least nine vessels struck over the course of weeks off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania. Officials were pressuring Russia to stop its attacks on merchant shipping, and reports highlight that there have been no attacks since October 29. At least 34 seafarers were reported killed or missing after the attacks.
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NATO said it would increase its presence in the region to aid in the protection efforts. France sent a maritime patrol aircraft deployed in Romania to aid in the efforts. The plane was able to detect a Russian attack on the Contship Jet and reported it to Romanian officials, but the ship was still struck on October 28. The 18 crewmembers were able to safely abandon the ship, which was operated under charter to Zim, but the vessel sank later that day.
Reuters reported that France has agreed to extend the deployment of the aircraft “for a few weeks.” It comes as Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey were also calling for the establishment of a safe shipping lane. Russia has continued its attacks on shipping in and near Ukraine’s ports, asserting the ships are carrying military cargo, but appears to have pulled back from the broader attacks in the Black Sea.
