Between 11 and 15 survivors from the crew of the ship Chelsea-3 have been questioned before a judge, lead prosecutor Kiril Peychinov told BTA. A forensic explosives examination has also been ordered.
On 13 October, prime minister Rumen Radev reported new drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria.
The background: Peev: There are debris near "Chelsea-3" that Bulgarian investigators will analyze
Chelsea-3, which sails under the Maltese flag, was attacked 17 nautical miles east of Byala. All 15 crew members were rescued. The second ship, HS Dignity, which flies the flag of Guinea-Bissau, was hit by a drone and sank 17 nautical miles east of Shabla.
The SOBT anti-terrorist unit took swabs from the holes in the ship's hull. The examination should show the type and size of the blast and any special features. Results will not be ready for a week or two.
Debris found yesterday has also been sent for examination. It will show whether the pieces come from the ship or from a sea drone, and whether they carry numbers or marks that point to where the drone came from.
Peychinov said it is not correct to call the debris "drone parts". "At first inspection these are not parts of the ship, but to be sure, this examination has been ordered," the prosecutor said.
The military district prosecutor's office in Sofia opened pre-trial proceedings yesterday after a report of an alleged crime in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, linked to the vessel Chelsea-3. There is only one investigation. Bulgarian authorities lead it, under the supervision of the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office.
All operational services are working on the case, along with foreign partners who help as specialists, not as investigators. Peychinov said outside views are useful because Bulgaria has not faced such a situation before.