Three maritime drones attack Liberian-flagged container ship in Bulgaria’s Black Sea waters
Three maritime drones attacked the container ship CONTSHIP JET in Bulgaria’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone on 28 October. The 18 crew members abandoned the vessel and were rescued without injuries, but the ship caught fire, sustained damage to its right side and lost more than 20 containers. Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye condemned the attack and agreed to strengthen coordination, information-sharing and early warning for commercial shipping.
Key points
- CONTSHIP JET was sailing from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania, under a Liberian flag.
- The attack occurred about 21 nautical miles, or 39 kilometres, southeast of Shabla, near Cape Kaliakra.
- All 18 crew members evacuated on rescue rafts and were taken to Varna without injuries.
- The vessel caught fire, suffered damage to its right side and remained afloat while drifting south.
- More than 20 containers reportedly fell into the sea, creating a potential navigational hazard.
- Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye created a coordination mechanism for Black Sea shipping security.
- The attacker was not identified; most reports date the incident to 28 October 2026.
Why it matters
The attack endangered civilian maritime traffic and a major commercial shipping route. CONTSHIP JET was damaged and left drifting, while containers falling into the sea created an additional hazard. The response by Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye shows that attacks on Black Sea shipping have become a regional security issue requiring coordinated protection, intelligence sharing and earlier warning.
What happened
Three maritime drones attacked CONTSHIP JET in Bulgaria’s Black Sea exclusive economic zone on 28 October. The vessel was travelling from Haifa to Constanța with approximately 700 containers and 18 crew members aboard. It sent a distress signal at 12:00 and the crew abandoned it on rescue rafts less than 15 minutes later. Bulgarian naval vessels and a Border Police vessel were sent to the scene, while the Navy, Maritime Administration, Air Force, emergency services and Border Police joined the rescue operation. The sailors were taken to Varna and confirmed safe, with no deaths or injuries reported. The container ship was severely tilted, caught fire and suffered damage to its right side. More than 20 containers reportedly fell overboard, and the vessel remained afloat while drifting south at 15:20 Kyiv time.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting focused on the repeated targeting of commercial shipping and the danger posed to Ukrainian and foreign seafarers. It also highlighted Zelenskyy’s denial that Ukrainian forces operated in the area and his statement that the attack was a Russian combined maritime and aerial drone operation, while noting that responsibility for this specific attack had not been established.
How international sources describe it
International coverage presented the incident as part of the broader wartime danger to Black Sea shipping. Reports concentrated on the Liberian flag, the vessel’s route from Haifa to Constanța, the successful evacuation of all 18 crew members and the coordinated regional response to improve shipping safety. Türkiye warned both Russia and Ukraine against further attacks and reserved the right to take legal action.
Where reporting differs
Sources disagree about the exact date: most report 28 October 2026, while some specify 28 October 2025 and others 28 October 2024. The principal location is given as approximately 21 nautical miles, or 39 kilometres, southeast of Shabla near Cape Kaliakra, but one report places the attack about 17 nautical miles east of Cape Kaliakra.
Background
The attack followed a series of incidents involving commercial vessels in October, including the sinking of Chelsea 3 near Bulgaria and Khoryv near Romania. It occurred during a defence ministers’ meeting in Sofia involving Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye. Bulgaria had previously asked NATO for combat aircraft, missile systems and counter-drone capabilities in response to repeated attacks on shipping.