Contship Jet sinks as drones hit cargo vessel near Bulgarian coast
All 18 crew members were rescued after three maritime drones hit the vessel Wednesday.
By Haruka Ricci ·
The Contship Jet has sunk following a drone attack off the Bulgarian coast. The Liberian-flagged vessel was struck by three maritime drones on Wednesday. The incident occurred approximately 21 nautical miles from shore. Bulgarian maritime authorities confirmed the sinking on Thursday.
Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov stated that this marks the fifth drone attack in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone this month. The ship was managed by a Greek company. It was traveling from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania. The crew consisted of 18 people, including 14 Filipinos and 4 Ukrainians. Bulgarian naval and border police vessels rescued all crew members. They were taken to Varna for medical checks.
The vessel carried containers with lithium-ion batteries, flammable liquids, and gases. The maritime website maritime.bg reported these hazardous materials were on board. Navy teams sampled the water in Bulgarian territorial waters. They found no signs of pollution.
The attack happened while defense ministers from Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey met in Sofia. The three nations discussed security in the Black Sea region. After the talks, the ministers issued a joint statement. They condemned the drone attacks on commercial vessels. The statement called for an immediate cessation of attacks that threaten commercial ships and maritime infrastructure. The ministers agreed to share intelligence and improve early warning capabilities.
Recent incidents off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria have raised questions about Russian intentions. Some alliance members suspect President Vladimir Putin is testing support for Ukraine. Russia has not claimed responsibility for the attacks. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told Parliament earlier this month that the logic points toward Moscow. He noted that the country cannot prove it.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte addressed the situation on Oct. 15. He said the alliance strengthened its posture along the eastern flank. This included increasing counter-drone capabilities in response to frequent strikes on commercial vessels.
Source: WTOP News
