The EU pledged "full solidarity" with its eastern members as the search went on for the sunken vessel's crew, and no one has yet been blamed for the strikes.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has condemned a drone attack on two commercial ships in the Black Sea that sank one of them, calling it "a flagrant violation of maritime law".
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"Such an attack within the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone is absolutely unacceptable," he told reporters on Tuesday at the start of an emergency government meeting on the strikes.
Sea and aerial drones hit the vessels at about 3am local time (2am CET), around 70 nautical miles east of the town of Byala according to Radev, the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) reported. He did not say who was behind the attack.
Radev warned that unless the war in Ukraine is brought to an end, it will keep widening its reach and raising the risks, including that of a global conflict.
"The situation significantly complicates navigation in the Black Sea, drives up insurance premiums, and makes maritime traffic extremely difficult," Radev said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said attacks on civilian shipping were "unacceptable" and that the EU stood "in full solidarity with our member states on the eastern flank".
"The situation in the Black Sea is increasingly concerning. Commercial ships – and innocent crews – are being targeted, with lives already lost at sea," she wrote on X.
The crew of the sunken ship are still missing and the search for survivors is continuing. Radev said the state's priority was to protect lives regardless of who was sailing in Bulgaria's economic zone.
The Bulgarian prime minister also addressed the Emil, a cargo ship attacked by Russian drones in August and now drifting towards Bulgaria's waters. Moscow confirmed the strike, claiming that the ship was carrying military equipment for Ukraine.
"We will not in any way allow the Bulgarian coast to be threatened," Radev said.
The emergency meeting brought together the defence, interior, transport and environment ministries, the presidency and the security services.
The attack came a day after a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying grain in the Black Sea was hit by at least one drone and sank after catching fire.