Three maritime drones struck the Liberian-flagged container ship, Contship Jet, in the Black Sea off Bulgaria on Wednesday, 28 October, according to Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov. The attack occurred around 1 p.m. local time, approximately 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla. The crew, consisting of 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians, evacuated the vessel and were rescued by the Bulgarian Navy and border police, then transported to Varna for medical checks.
This incident took place during meetings of defence ministers from Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey in Sofia, where they condemned the drone attacks on commercial vessels and called for an immediate halt to these threats. They agreed to enhance intelligence sharing and coordination in the region.
Recent drone attacks along the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria have heightened concerns about potential testing of NATO’s resolve by Russia amid ongoing tensions surrounding Ukraine. Though Russia has not claimed responsibility for the attacks, suspicion lingers.
On 15 October, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced an increase in counter-drone capabilities along the eastern flank following these attacks, which have threatened commercial shipping routes and resulted in two deaths, with 25 still missing.
Throughout the conflict, Russia has targeted Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, complicating grain exports. In mid-October, multiple attacks on commercial vessels occurred in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, with one ship sinking and another being damaged. On 23 October, a foreign-flagged cargo ship capsized near Romania after a suspected drone strike.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
