The CONTSHIP JET was attacked by three drones off Bulgaria; all crew members were rescued safely.
Another attack on commercial vessels in the Black Sea has occurred. The container ship named CONTSHIP JET, operated by the Greek company Contships Management and flying the Liberian flag, was attacked by three unmanned surface vessels (USVs) off the coast of Bulgaria on October 28, 2026. The 18-member crew, who suffered severe damage aboard the ship, were rescued by an operation conducted by the Bulgarian Navy.
According to Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov, the attack took place approximately 21 nautical miles southeast of the shores of Shabla. The vessel, which was en route from Haifa Port in Israel to Constanta Port in Romania, was targeted within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense reported that the ship was attacked around 12:00 local time.
According to the ministry's statement, a French maritime patrol aircraft conducting a mission in the area relayed information regarding the sea drones to the operational center of the Bulgarian Navy.
Surveillance systems of the Bulgarian Navy and information obtained from the French aircraft revealed that three separate impacts occurred on the ship.
Following the attack, a fire broke out on the vessel, causing significant damage. A maritime security source speaking to Reuters indicated that the ship was heavily damaged and listing.
Immediately after the attack, three ships belonging to the Bulgarian Navy and one ship from the Border Police were dispatched to the area.
Rescue teams directly evacuated eight sailors, while the other ten were found on the ship's lifeboat.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense announced that by 13:45, all 18 crew members had been rescued.
It was reported that 14 of the crew were citizens of the Philippines, while four were from Ukraine. The rescued sailors were taken to Varna for health checks.
The ship's operator, Contships Management, confirmed the attack and announced that all crew members were safe.
Built in 2007, the CONTSHIP JET has a carrying capacity of approximately 1,276 TEU.
With IMO number 9348625, the vessel was operating on the Levant-Black Sea Express route of the Israeli company ZIM.
It was reported that there were 421 containers on board the ship at the time of the attack. No detailed information was disclosed regarding the contents of the cargo.
Bulgarian authorities have also begun to investigate the potential environmental impacts of the cargo on the ship. While the Black Sea Basin Directorate did not confirm claims of hazardous materials being present, it announced that seawater samples would be taken off Cape Kaliakra.
The attack occurred on the same day that the defense ministers of Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania met in Sofia to discuss security in the Black Sea.
The defense ministers of the three NATO member countries called for an immediate halt to attacks on commercial vessels and maritime infrastructure.
During the meeting, an agreement was reached to enhance intelligence sharing in the Black Sea, strengthen early warning systems, and improve coordination among the countries.
Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler warned both Russia and Ukraine regarding attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. He stated that Turkey reserves its legal rights in the face of attacks on Turkish-flagged or Turkish-operated vessels.
The attack on CONTSHIP JET is the latest incident in a series of events targeting commercial vessels off the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania in October.
According to reports from Reuters, at least six commercial vessels have been attacked off the coast of Bulgaria in recent weeks. It has been reported that many sailors have lost their lives or gone missing in the attacks in the region.
On October 23, the Comoros-flagged cargo ship KHORYV, which was attacked off the coast of Romania, sank, resulting in the death of one sailor and three others going missing.
It has not yet been definitively determined who carried out the attack on CONTSHIP JET. Ukraine holds Russia responsible for the attacks in the region, while Moscow denies the allegations.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
