Drones attacked a container ship in the Black Sea near Bulgaria

Three naval drones attacked the Liberia-flagged container ship Contship Jet in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgaria on Wednesday, 28 October.

The strike was carried out while a meeting of the defense ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey devoted to maritime security was taking place in Sofia. The Bulgarian authorities reported that all 18 crew members were rescued, with no fatalities.

Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said the vessel was attacked “by three naval drones approximately 21 miles southeast of Shabla” — in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. The ship was en route from Haifa (Israel) to Constanța (Romania) and was carrying 421 containers.

As Bulgaria’s state news agency BTA reported, the crew — 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians — were taken to Varna aboard a Bulgarian Navy vessel. According to BTA, the Defense Ministry described the drones as unmanned surface vehicles and said they were first spotted by a French maritime patrol aircraft.

According to Nova television, the crew abandoned the vessel a few minutes after the strike. Eight sailors were picked up by a Navy vessel, and another 10 were found in a lifeboat. A fire broke out on the ship, and the starboard side sustained serious damage.

The British shipping company told The Sofia Globe that the vessel listed and lost containers overboard. The Greek-managed ship operates Levant — Black Sea routes for (ZIM).

Following the talks in Sofia, the three countries jointly condemned attacks on merchant vessels.

“These tragic incidents lead to a dangerous escalation of tension and create serious threats to maritime security,” Stoyanov said.

He announced the creation of a trilateral mechanism for consultations and information exchange. Regular meetings at the political level are planned in Bucharest, and talks among military experts in Ankara. Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler called on both Russia and Ukraine to exercise caution. He warned against “approaches that could increase tension and danger in the region.”

This is already the fifth drone attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone since the beginning of October. At least nine civilian vessels are reported to have been affected off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania this month, and according to Reuters, the number of sailors killed and missing has reached 34. Ukraine blames Russia, which denies involvement.

“Logic points in that direction… The problem is that we cannot prove it,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said in parliament.