Container ship sinks after drone attack off Bulgaria

The Greek-managed, Liberian-flagged container ship Contship Jet sank after three naval drones struck it in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone on Wednesday, Bulgarian authorities and the ship’s manager said. All 18 crew members — 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians — were rescued and taken to Varna.

The vessel was carrying 421 containers from Haifa to Constanța. Initial inspections found no visible pollution, although the cargo included lithium-ion batteries, corrosive liquids and industrial materials. Associated Press and Reuters both reported the sinking. Bulgarian officials described it as at least the fifth or sixth drone attack off the country this month; the difference reflects separate official counts and should not be collapsed into a single exact total.

No authority had identified the attacker at publication. A French patrol aircraft warned Bulgaria about a possible attack, but naval commander Kiril Mihaylov said forces could not prevent it. The incident demonstrates the growing exposure of commercial shipping to the war around the Black Sea without proving who launched these drones. Crew safety, pollution monitoring and preservation of forensic evidence are the immediate tests.