The key facts
- The Liberia-flagged tanker Contship Jet was attacked by three sea drones on 28 October off the Bulgarian coast — the fifth such attack in a month in the exclusive economic zone of the NATO country
- All 18 crew members were rescued and taken to Varna; no signs of water pollution were found
- Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey agreed to enhance intelligence sharing and early warning
The attack and the crew rescue
Euronews has obtained images of the Liberia-flagged tanker Contship Jet, which was managed by a Greek company and was attacked by three sea drones off the Bulgarian coast of the Black Sea on 28 October 2026. The vessel was sailing from the Israeli port of Haifa to Constanta in Romania. According to the outlet, this was the fifth drone attack recorded in a month in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone — a NATO member country. All 18 crew members — 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians — were rescued by Bulgarian navy and border police vessels and taken to Varna for medical examinations.
The investigation and environmental samples
Bulgaria's military district prosecutor's office announced the opening of a preliminary investigation the day after the attack. According to the maritime.bg website, which Euronews cites, some of the containers on board held lithium-ion batteries, flammable liquids, gases and other hazardous materials. Nevertheless, navy teams that took samples at several points in Bulgaria's territorial waters found no signs of pollution. The outlet notes that Russia is suspected of being behind the recent wave of attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev having previously told parliament: 'the logic points precisely in that direction. The problem is that we cannot prove it.'
The reaction of regional countries and NATO
The incident coincided with a meeting of the defence ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey in Sofia devoted to Black Sea regional security. In a joint statement, the three NATO countries condemned attacks on vessels and called for 'an immediate halt to attacks that threaten commercial ships, maritime infrastructure and the safety of maritime activities,' and also agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing, early warning systems and coordination. Earlier, on 15 October, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on X that the alliance had 'strengthened' its 'posture on the eastern flank, including by increasing counter-drone capabilities.' Euronews also notes that the series of incidents off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria has led some alliance members to wonder whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is testing the allies' readiness to support Ukraine.
