Ukraine War Escalates as Drones Hit Moscow and Ships Near NATO Bulgaria

The war between Russia and Ukraine has entered another tense phase after a large scale Ukrainian drone attack on the Moscow region coincided with drone strikes on commercial vessels in the Black Sea near NATO member Bulgaria. Russian authorities said Ukraine launched around 650 drones towards the Moscow region, with more than 100 reportedly intercepted near the Russian capital. Two people were killed and several others injured, while a warehouse was also damaged by fire.

The attack came as Ukraine continues to expand its long-range strikes against targets inside Russia. Kyiv has increasingly targeted Russian military, energy and industrial infrastructure as the conflict continues, while Moscow has responded with large scale missile and drone attacks against Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Russia said it launched a major overnight strike involving 130 drones, 48 cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against several Ukrainian regions. Ukrainian officials said at least eight people were killed, including four in the northern city of Pryluky, where a missile struck a residential building.

The situation has also raised concern beyond the immediate battlefield after two commercial vessels were attacked inside Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The Togo flagged cargo ship Alfa Watan sank following the attack, while the Palau flagged Able was badly damaged and caught fire. The crew of the Able was rescued, although two people were seriously injured. The crew of the sunken vessel were initially reported missing.

The attacks happened around 70 nautical miles from the Bulgarian coast and are believed to be the first reported strikes of this kind inside Bulgaria’s economic zone since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rumen Radev condemned the attacks as a violation of international and maritime law and warned that the continued expansion of the conflict could increase the risk of a wider confrontation.

However, Bulgarian authorities have stressed that the origin of the drones has not yet been conclusively established. Defence officials say investigators need to recover drone wreckage or obtain another form of evidence before determining whether the weapons came from Russia or Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has blamed Russia, saying a joint investigation with Bulgaria indicated that Russian forces were responsible. Moscow has not publicly claimed responsibility for the attack. The attacks have increased concerns about the safety of commercial shipping in the western Black Sea, a major route for grain, energy and other goods.

The European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, condemned attacks on civilian shipping and warned about the danger posed to commercial crews. Maritime security organisations have also described the incidents as a significant escalation because attacks are increasingly being reported farther from the immediate Ukrainian battlefield.

The latest incidents follow another reported attack on a vessel near Russia’s Black Sea coast. An oil tanker carrying 23 Indian crew members was hit by Ukrainian naval drones and caught fire, although all crew members were rescued.

With both sides continuing to use long range drones and missiles, the Black Sea is becoming an increasingly important part of the wider conflict, while neighbouring countries remain concerned about the possibility of the fighting affecting commercial shipping and their own security.

For now, the latest attacks have not triggered direct military action by NATO, but Bulgaria’s position as a NATO member means the incidents are being closely watched as authorities investigate who carried them out and whether they form part of a wider campaign.