The Chelsea-3, hit by drones in the Black Sea on 13 October, is being towed, the press office of Bulgaria's Ministry of Transport and Communications said. An anchor is holding the motor ship steady on the seabed.

This story follows our earlier report on drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea, announced by prime minister Rumen Radev. One ship was hit and another sank.

The Chelsea-3 is now 12.5 nautical miles south of Cape Maslen Nos and 10.7 nautical miles east of Lozenets. It was hit 17 nautical miles east of Byala while sailing under the Maltese flag from Giresun to Giurgiulești. All 15 crew members were rescued.

The tug Aliot reached the ship yesterday at 12:45 pm. No emergency team went on board because the risk to the crews was too high. Bad weather has also halted, for now, the operation to secure and tow the ship.

The Chelsea-2, the second ship owned by the same company, will join the tow.

Seven days before these attacks, sea and air drones hit two other merchant ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.