Black Sea Shipping: Container Ship Sinks After Drone Strikes
The Contship Jet went down off Bulgaria following a fifth attack this month, prompting NATO defense ministers to meet in Sofia.
By Luca Harrison ·
The container ship Contship Jet sank off the Bulgarian coast on Thursday, according to the local maritime administration. The vessel, flagged to Liberia, had been struck by three maritime drones on Wednesday. Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov confirmed the incident occurred approximately 21 nautical miles from shore.
This was the fifth drone attack in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone during October. The ship was traveling from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania. Greek companies managed the vessel. All 18 crew members survived. Four were Ukrainian and 14 were Filipino. Bulgarian naval and border police vessels rescued the crew and transported them to Varna for medical examinations.
The ship carried various hazardous materials, including lithium-ion batteries, flammable liquids, and gases, according to maritime.bg. Navy teams collected water samples in Bulgarian territorial waters and reported no signs of pollution.
The sinking occurred while defense ministers from Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey were meeting in Sofia to discuss regional security. After their talks, the three NATO nations issued a joint statement condemning the attacks on commercial vessels. They called for an immediate cessation of attacks threatening commercial ships and maritime infrastructure. The ministers also agreed to improve intelligence sharing, early warning capabilities, and coordination in the Black Sea.
A series of similar incidents off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria has raised questions within the alliance. Some members suspect Russian President Vladimir Putin is testing support for Ukraine. Russia has not claimed responsibility for the recent strikes, but suspicion remains focused on Moscow. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told Parliament earlier in the month that the logic points in that direction, though the country cannot prove it.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte posted on X on October 15 that the alliance strengthened its posture along the eastern flank. He noted an increase in counter-drone capabilities in response to frequent strikes on commercial vessels.
The next step involves continued coordination between the three countries as they implement the agreements reached in Sofia.
