On December 5, Bulgaria's maritime authorities, border police, and navy launched a rescue mission for a ship that entered the country's territorial waters on Friday. However, the operation is currently on hold due to bad weather, according to a statement from the transport ministry.

The ship in question is the sanctioned tanker Kairos, which was attacked last week by a Ukrainian drone in Turkey's Exclusive Economic Zone. The crew was rescued after the vessel caught fire.

Kairos was one of two sanctioned tankers hit by Ukrainian naval drones while heading to a Russian port to load oil for foreign markets. This attack aimed to increase pressure on Russia's oil industry. The tanker experienced an explosion en route from Egypt to Russia, as reported by Turkey’s Transport Ministry.

The maritime control services spotted the Kairos earlier on Friday, but the ship did not respond to any attempts to make contact. After reaching out to passing vessels and the Maritime Coordination Centre in Ankara, it was confirmed that there were 10 people on board, who later requested evacuation, the ministry noted.

In response, a border police team and a navy helicopter were dispatched to assist. The vessel anchored about one nautical mile east of Ahtopol and stopped moving, remaining under constant surveillance due to strong winds.

The ministry stated that the specialized border police team is ready to approach the ship, and two air-tractors are prepared to participate in the operation once the weather improves.

On Tuesday, another Russian-flagged tanker loaded with sunflower oil also reported a drone attack off the Turkish coast, but its 13 crew members were unharmed.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan remarked on Wednesday that the "very scary" attacks on Russia-linked tankers in the Black Sea pose a threat to regional safety and indicate that the conflict in Ukraine is extending its reach.