Three maritime drones struck a container ship in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgaria on Wednesday, the country’s defense minister announced. The attack on the Liberian-flagged vessel, the Contship Jet, occurred approximately 21 nautical miles southeast of the coastal town of Shabla.
The crew of 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians were evacuated and taken aboard Bulgarian Navy and border police rescue vessels. They were transported to the port city of Varna for medical checks. The ship was en route from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania, carrying 421 containers, though their contents were not immediately specified.
This incident occurred as defense ministers from Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey were holding trilateral talks in Sofia focused on security in the Black Sea region. Following the meeting, the three NATO countries issued a joint statement strongly condemning the drone attacks on commercial vessels and calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities that threaten maritime activities.
The nations also agreed to enhance intelligence sharing, early warning capabilities, and coordination within the Black Sea. The attacks are part of a series of incidents this month targeting commercial shipping off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria. Some alliance members have suggested these strikes could be an attempt by Russian President Vladimir Putin to test their resolve in supporting Ukraine.
While Russia has not claimed responsibility, suspicion has fallen on Moscow. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev previously stated that the evidence pointed in that direction, but acknowledged the difficulty in proving it. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte noted in October that the alliance had strengthened its posture along the eastern flank and increased counter-drone capabilities in response to such strikes.
The attacks in Bulgaria's and Romania's exclusive economic zones pose a threat to global shipping routes. Previous incidents this month include two commercial ships being attacked in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in early October, followed by the sinking of the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity and damage to the Malta-flagged Chelsea 3. On October 23, a foreign-flagged cargo ship sank off the Romanian port city of Constanta after a suspected drone strike.
Russia has consistently bombarded Ukraine's Black Sea and Danube River ports throughout the ongoing war, pushing Ukraine to rely on alternative routes for its grain exports. Russian drones have also repeatedly violated Romanian airspace near Ukraine's Danube ports.