Container Ship "Contship Jet" Sinks Off Bulgaria After Naval Drone Strike
The Liberian-flagged container ship "Contship Jet" has sunk in the Black Sea off Bulgaria a day after being hit by three naval drones. All 18 crew members were rescued.
A container ship, the "Contship Jet", has sunk off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast a day after being struck by three naval drones, the local maritime administration said on Thursday. The vessel sailed under the Liberian flag and was managed by a Greek company. The incident is part of a growing number of attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea that have affected two NATO members, Bulgaria and Romania.
What happened
Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said the drones hit the ship about 21 nautical miles from the Bulgarian shore. It was the fifth drone strike in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone this month. The ship was travelling from Haifa in Israel to Constanta in Romania.
All 18 crew members, 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians, were rescued by Bulgarian maritime and border police vessels and taken to Varna.
Hazardous cargo and pollution
The website maritime.bg reported that some containers held lithium-ion batteries, highly flammable liquids, gases and other hazardous substances. Naval units took water samples at several locations in Bulgarian territorial waters, and analysis found no signs of pollution.
NATO members respond
The incident occurred while the defence ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey were meeting in Sofia to discuss security in the Black Sea region. After the talks, the three NATO members issued a joint statement strongly condemning the drone attacks on commercial vessels and calling for an immediate end to them, citing threats to ships, maritime infrastructure and the safety of maritime operations. They also agreed on closer intelligence sharing, early-warning capabilities and coordination.
Several NATO members believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is testing the alliance's support for Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on 15 October on the platform X that the alliance had strengthened its eastern flank position, including by increasing counter-drone capabilities.
The attacks in the exclusive economic zones of Bulgaria and Romania threaten global shipping routes. Two people have been killed in the strikes, and at least 25 people are still considered missing.
