۱۱ crew members from sunken vessel hit by drone still missing near Bulgarian coast
The latest update from Bulgaria says that ۱۱ crew members from the sunken ship are still missing.
The number of people rescued from the ship has now gone up to five, with authorities hoping they will be able to offer more insight into what happened overnight.
Key events
Over in Warsaw, Poland’s parliament speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty is beginning his opening speech telling the audience that Europe is “at the turning point” of “civilisational” significance.
Addressing the Warsaw Security Forum, he says “for those who have any doubts that the president of the Russian Federation is a murderer and aggressor, and Ukraine is a victim.”
He says “it has to be said: there is no free Poland and free Europe, without a free Ukraine.”
Just as he says it, Poland issues a (now fairly routine) emergency alert to residents of a south-eastern region neighbouring Ukraine, putting them on high alert because of Russian strikes across the border.
The foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, Poland and Norway should be up on the main stage shortly.
۱۱ crew members from sunken vessel hit by drone still missing near Bulgarian coast
The latest update from Bulgaria says that ۱۱ crew members from the sunken ship are still missing.
The number of people rescued from the ship has now gone up to five, with authorities hoping they will be able to offer more insight into what happened overnight.
Morning opening: Two ships hit by drones off Bulgarian coast
Jakub Krupa
Drones of unknown origin struck two ships in the Black Sea off Bulgaria this morning, sinking one and prompting emergency rescue operations, the country’s prime minister Rumen Radev said.
Only one person was rescued from the sunken vessel, and ۱۵ people were picked up from the other one.
The attack comes exactly a week after a similar incident in which one ship sank with its crew on board, and the other one was evacuated, with ۱۸ people rescued.
PM Radev said the attacks were “absolutely unacceptable,” and said he would seek assistance from Nato and the European Union.
He said that while there is no “clear and conclusive evidence to attribute responsibility” yet, “the logic suggests that the outcome benefits the Russian Federation.”
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said “the Black Sea has become another front of escalation of the Russian war in Ukraine.”
“This is unacceptable. I strongly condemn the drone attacks on merchant ships near Bulgaria’s coast. Putting the lives of the crew in grave danger and threatening security in the Black Sea. We stand with Bulgaria and thank its rescuers for their swift response. Those responsible should be held accountable.”
The incident comes amid growing fears about Russia’s war against Ukraine and as several European foreign ministers meet at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, including Britain’s Ed Miliband, Germany’s Johann Wadephul, and Ukraine’s Andrii Sybiha.
I will monitor their comments and bring you the top lines.
Separately, the French high school protests are expected to intensify today after key groups called for “a day of mobilisation” across the country.
Over in Spain, the Spanish royals are expected to visit the autonomous city of Ceuta in northern Africa, which continues to see its every day’s life disrupted by the migration crisis.
In Sweden, the Social Democrats leader Magdalena Andersson is due to report back on the progress of her talks on government formation today. But early reports suggest she does not quite have everything lined up yet, and the process is likely to take more time.
Finally, in the Vatican, Pope Leo is expected to be hospitalised today to remove a lung nodule discovered in his body to test it if the lesion is malignant. He is likely to stay there for about a week.
So, lots for us to cover. I will bring you all the key lines here.
It’s Monday, ۱۳ October ۲۰۲۶, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
