Container ship struck by three drones 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla

A container ship was struck by three drones in the Black Sea, approximately 21 nautical miles southeast of cape Shabla, Minister of Defence Dimitar Stoyanov announced at a press conference following a trilateral meeting between the defence ministers and chiefs of defence of Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye, dedicated to security and defence in the Black Sea region.

• Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye discuss Black Sea security in Sofia

The Liberia-flagged container ship CONTSHIP JET (IMO: 9348625), which departed from Haifa, Israel, was struck while sailing past Cape Kaliakra en route to the Romanian city of Constanța, BNR correspondent in Varna Daniela Stoynova reported.

A tanker was dispatched to assist the vessel. Some of the crew members evacuated onto a life raft near the ship. Meanwhile, a drone was heading towards them by sea, posing a threat to the sailors’ lives.

“Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye unequivocally condemn drone attacks against commercial vessels in the Black Sea. These tragic incidents constitute a dangerous escalation of tensions and pose serious risks to the safety of maritime navigation”, Dimitar Stoyanov added.

Representatives of the three countries called for an immediate halt to the attacks, which endanger commercial shipping, maritime infrastructure and the safety of maritime activities.

The Bulgarian Navy is currently carrying out an operation to rescue the 18 crew members of the container ship attacked in the Black Sea. Three naval vessels are at the scene. Further details are expected once the rescue operation is complete.

The CONTSHIP JET is the fifth ship to be targeted by drones in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.

Edited by Diana Tsankova

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov