Fifth Black Sea drone attack sinks container ship off Bulgaria

Five drone attacks on commercial vessels have occurred in the Black Sea this month, with the latest incident resulting in the sinking of a container ship off the Bulgarian coast. The maritime administration confirmed the loss of the Liberian-flagged Contship Jet on Thursday. The vessel was hit by three maritime drones approximately 21 nautical miles from the shoreline on Wednesday.

Dimitar Stoyanov, the Bulgarian defense minister, detailed the strike on the ship, which was Greek-managed and traveling from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania. All 18 crew members survived the incident. The group consisted of 14 Filipino nationals and four Ukrainians. Bulgarian naval and border police vessels rescued the crew and transported them to the port city of Varna for medical evaluation.

Reports from maritime.bg indicated that the cargo included lithium-ion batteries, flammable liquids, and gases. Navy teams collected water samples in Bulgarian territorial waters and found no signs of pollution following the sinking. The incident occurred while defense ministers from Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey were meeting in Sofia to coordinate regional security efforts.

The three NATO members issued a joint statement condemning the strikes on commercial traffic. They called for an immediate cessation of attacks that threaten ships and maritime infrastructure. The ministers agreed to enhance intelligence sharing and improve early warning capabilities in the region.

The series of incidents has raised questions among alliance members about Russian intentions. Some analysts suggest Moscow may be testing NATO support for Ukraine. Russia has not officially claimed responsibility for the recent drone strikes, though suspicions remain high. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told Parliament earlier in the month that the logic points toward Moscow, despite the lack of definitive proof.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte addressed the rising frequency of strikes on October 15. He stated that the alliance has strengthened its posture along the eastern flank. This includes increasing counter-drone capabilities to protect commercial vessels in the area.