The Black Sea becomes the latest hotspot in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as two cargo ships are struck by drones off the Bulgarian coast, within the country's exclusive economic zone. The government in Sofia has announced the incident, prompting an urgent meeting due to its severity.
According to the Bulgarian maritime rescue service, one of the ships subsequently sank, and its crew is currently unaccounted for.
Roumen Nikolov, head of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Varna, confirmed the loss of the vessel in statements to the public broadcaster BNR.
Several details about the incident remain unclear, including the origin of the drones and the exact nature of the attack.
Link to Massive Drone Attack on Moscow RegionMassive Drone Attack on Moscow Region
Simultaneously, Russia reports an intense aerial offensive. Russian authorities claim around 650 drones participated in the nighttime assault, approaching the Moscow region from various directions and in multiple waves.
Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, stated that most of the drones were intercepted by air defenses, with 105 reportedly shot down as they neared the city.
According to the state agency Tass, this is one of the largest attacks recorded in recent months against the Russian capital, located hundreds of kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Local authorities report at least two fatalities and nine injuries.
The governor of the Moscow region, Andrey Vorobyov, announced that rescuers recovered the body of a 71-year-old man from the rubble of a house in Barybino, Domodedovo. A woman in the same building was injured.
Another victim, a 20-year-old man, was reported in the village of Radumlya, Solnechnogorsk.
Link to Energy Facility Also TargetedEnergy Facility Also Targeted
Monitoring channels suggest some drones targeted energy infrastructure in the region, including the Volodarsk Linear Production and Distribution Center near the village of Konstantinov.
These reports require independent verification.
This new offensive comes amid escalating long-range attacks between Moscow and Kiev. Russia claims it does not intentionally target civilian infrastructure and has announced plans to increase operations against Ukrainian infrastructure targets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Kiev aims to intensify attacks on Russian refineries and other strategic infrastructure.
Link to Kiev Reports Five Injured in Zaporizhia AttackKiev Reports Five Injured in Zaporizhia Attack
Ukraine also reports new bombings on its territory. Mykhailo Semikin, acting head of the local administration in Zaporizhia, claims Russian forces hit a bridge over the Dnipro River, disrupting traffic.
The Ukrainian authorities report five injuries, including two Red Cross workers who were on their way to work at the time of the attack.
This series of attacks marks a new escalation in drone and missile operations, while the incident involving the two cargo ships off Bulgaria adds another layer of tension in the Black Sea.
(Associated Medias) - Tutti i diritti sono riservati