Drones strike container ship in Black Sea off Bulgarian coast
Three sea drones hit the container ship Contship Jet in the Black Sea off Bulgaria on Wednesday, and its crew was evacuated. The incident occurred while the defence ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey were meeting in Sofia.
Three sea drones struck the container ship Contship Jet, sailing under the Liberian flag, in the Black Sea off Bulgaria's north-eastern coast on Wednesday. Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told reporters about the attack. The incident matters because it took place close to NATO member states and again points to the threat facing civilian shipping in the region.
According to the minister, the attack happened shortly before 1 p.m., roughly 21 nautical miles south-east of the town of Shabla, near Cape Kaliakra. The Bulgarian news agency BTA reported that the vessel's crew has been evacuated. There is currently no information that anyone was injured.
Talks in Sofia
The strike came while the defence ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey were holding trilateral talks in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, on security in the Black Sea region.
Earlier attacks
Several drone strikes have already hit areas off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria this month. Several NATO countries believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is using such attacks to test the alliance's support for Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on the platform X on 15 October that, given the increasingly frequent attacks on commercial vessels, the alliance has strengthened its position on the eastern flank, including by increasing counter-drone capabilities.
Attacks in the exclusive economic zones of Bulgaria and Romania threaten global shipping routes. Earlier strikes killed two people, and at least 25 people are still considered missing.
