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A Liberian-flagged container ship struck by three naval drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast has sunk, the local maritime administration said Thursday, the latest in a string of attacks on commercial vessels in the area this month.
All 18 crew members, 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians, were rescued, and Bulgaria’s outgoing defense chief said the drones "came from the East," though the data still needed to be analyzed.
The Greek-managed Contship Jet, carrying 421 containers, was hit Wednesday about 21 nautical miles off Shabla, in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but outside its territorial waters, while sailing from Haifa to Constanta, Romania.
The vessel was struck on its starboard side, began drifting south, and listed as water poured in, sending containers overboard, Bulgarian maritime news site Maritime.bg reported.
The depth in the area ranges from 200 to 700 meters.
Adm. Emil Eftimov told broadcaster bTV the air force was on alert when the drones entered, and Bulgarian drones were deployed but limited by severe weather.
"We are not at war. The drones did not enter territorial waters, so we did not take action," Eftimov said, adding that Bulgaria is in constant contact with NATO’s command.
Navy commander Kiril Mihaylov said authorities had been alerted to a possible drone attack by a French patrol aircraft but could not prevent it. The ship’s cargo included lithium-ion batteries, corrosive liquids and acids, flammable liquids and industrial components, Maritime.bg reported.
Bulgaria’s Maritime Administration said no significant environmental consequences were expected. The ship’s fuel is light gasoil that would evaporate relatively quickly and is not expected to reach the Bulgarian coast, the Varna regional administration said.
Separately, the overturned vessel KHORYV, hit earlier, has partly sunk off Shabla and remains a navigation hazard. "We are trying to sink KHORYV," Eftimov said, adding, "The structure turned out to be sturdy."
The attack came as the defense ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye met in Sofia on Black Sea security.
They condemned the attacks and called for an "immediate cessation of attacks that threaten commercial ships, maritime infrastructure and the safety of maritime activities."
The ministers agreed to hold regular consultations, with further talks planned in Bucharest and Ankara, Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said Türkiye "considers the maintenance of stability and security in the region to be essential."
Romanian Defense Minister Stefan-Radu Oprea called the attack "a new and serious threat to freedom of navigation and regional security."
At least six ships have been attacked off Bulgaria this month, and about two dozen seafarers are feared dead. Russia has not claimed responsibility, but suspicion has fallen on Moscow.
"The logic points in that direction. The problem is that we cannot prove it," Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told parliament earlier this month.
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