A Liberian-flagged container ship has sunk after being struck by three maritime drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, in the latest attack on commercial shipping in the region.
The vessel, Contship Jet, was attacked on 28 October, approximately 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla, near Cape Kaliakra in northeastern Bulgaria, according to Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov. The Greek-managed container ship was sailing from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania, with 421 containers on board. The contents of the containers were initially unclear.
Following the attack, the crew abandoned the vessel and were rescued by Bulgarian Navy and border police vessels. The 18 seafarers, comprising 14 Filipino and four Ukrainian nationals, were subsequently taken towards the port of Varna for medical examinations.
As reported, the incident occurred as defence ministers from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey were meeting in Sofia for trilateral discussions on regional security.
In a joint statement, the three NATO members condemned attacks on commercial vessels and called for an immediate cessation of actions threatening merchant shipping, maritime infrastructure and the safety of maritime operations.
The countries also agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing, early-warning capabilities and coordination to address the growing security threat in the Black Sea.
The strike on Contship Jet follows a series of drone attacks on merchant vessels operating in the exclusive economic zones of Bulgaria and Romania, raising concerns over the security of commercial shipping routes along NATO’s eastern flank.
Several vessels have been attacked in the area in recent weeks, with incidents resulting in ship damage, sinkings, fatalities and missing seafarers. The attacks have intensified concerns about the spillover of Russia’s war against Ukraine into surrounding maritime areas.
The Black Sea has become the most dangerous maritime region for seafarers in 2026, recording more fatalities than the Persian Gulf, despite attracting comparatively less international attention, the Financial Times reported, citing shipowners and maritime organisations.