The key facts

  • Three sea drones struck the container ship Contship Jet in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone
  • All 18 crew members were evacuated by the Bulgarian navy
  • According to DW, at least six commercial ships have been attacked off the Bulgarian coast in recent weeks

Attack off the coast of Bulgaria

On October 28, the container ship Contship Jet, sailing under the Liberian flag, was struck by three unmanned maritime vessels. The ship was en route to the Romanian port of Constanța; according to Bulgarian radio, it had departed from the Israeli port of Haifa. The attack occurred approximately 21 nautical miles — about 39 kilometers — southeast of the town of Shabla. Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said at a briefing on October 28 that the incident took place in the country's exclusive economic zone, reports Kun.uz citing DW.

Crew evacuation

Information about the spotted sea drones came from a French maritime patrol aircraft flying over the western part of the Black Sea. After that, the Bulgarian navy carried out a rescue operation and evacuated all 18 people from the ship. Who is responsible for the attack remains unknown.

Reaction and context

The same day, an urgent meeting was held in Sofia between the defense ministers and chiefs of staff of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, devoted to the security of civilian shipping in the Black Sea. According to DW, in recent weeks off the Bulgarian coast at least six commercial ships have been attacked. Ukraine holds Russia responsible for these attacks; Bulgarian head of state Rumen Radev said that, in his view, the attacks serve Russian interests. Russian officials reject accusations of involvement in the strikes.