The Greek container ship Contship Jet sank after being struck by three maritime drones in the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone. The vessel was flying the Liberian flag and was carrying 421 containers.
All 18 crew members were safely evacuated. The crew consisted of 14 Filipino and four Ukrainian seafarers, and they were transferred to the Bulgarian port of Varna after being rescued. The ship was heavily damaged while sailing from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania.
The attack took place outside Bulgarian territorial waters, and it is not yet known who is behind it. According to statements from Bulgarian officials, maritime drones have attacked at least six ships near the Bulgarian coast this month. It is feared that around 20 seafarers have died in these incidents.
Bulgarian Navy Commander Kiril Mihajlov told national television that authorities had been warned of a possible attack following a report from a French patrol aircraft, but they were unable to prevent it. Bulgaria has requested assistance to strengthen the security of its Black Sea coast.
Preliminary inspections carried out on Thursday found no visible signs of marine pollution from the sunken ship. The cargo included lithium-ion batteries, corrosive liquids, acids and industrial components.
