A container ship that was struck by three maritime drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast sank around midnight on Wednesday, the Bulgarian authorities said. The incident took place roughly 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla, east of Cape Kaliakra, and the vessel, named CONTSHIP JET, was carrying 421 containers, including lithium‑ion batteries and light fuel oil.
All 18 crew members, 14 of whom were Filipinos and four Ukrainians, were rescued and brought to Varna. The ship was found to have 20 containers that fell overboard during the attack. No injuries were reported.
The defensive response was limited because the drones never entered Bulgarian territorial waters, according to the Admiral of the Bulgarian Defence Ministry. The defence chief said the drones were launched from the east and that air forces were on alert, but no action was taken since the vessels’ surface did not breach the coast.
Following the sinking, teams from the Maritime Administration Executive Agency inspected the wreck and reported that the ship was carrying gas oil, which evaporates quickly in the open sea and is not expected to reach the Bulgarian coast. The experts therefore did not anticipate any immediate damage to the marine environment or shoreline.
Nevertheless, both the Defence Ministry and the Environment and Water Ministry are conducting a detailed environmental assessment. On Thursday, teams from the Black Sea Basin Directorate and the Executive Environment Agency will collect seawater samples at five locations along the coast: Durankulak, Shabla, Cape Kaliakra, Byala and Sozopol.
Samples will be tested for petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls, metals and other physicochemical indicators of water quality. The samples are to be analysed at the Executive Environment Agency's regional laboratories in Varna and Burgas, as well as at a local marine lab near the site of the wreck.
In addition to the planned coastal sampling, the agencies will also analyse samples taken directly from the area surrounding the sunk vessel. The goal is to determine not only if pollution is present but also whether there have been subtle changes in seawater quality that visual inspection alone cannot detect.
The monitoring effort is part of a broader response to a series of drone attacks on merchant vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone since early October. The BTA reports that this is the fifth such incident this year, prompting a coordinated effort between defence, maritime administration and environmental authorities.
As the environmental sampling proceeds, the authorities have stated that they will release the results to the public. The Ministry said the continuous monitoring will continue until any potential pollution risk or change in the situation is detected.
The incident has also drawn media attention, with the BTA and other Bulgarian outlets televising and print coverage providing day‑by‑day updates. The sink is seen as a reminder of the growing security concerns in the Black Sea region, especially amid tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
Overall, the swift rescue of all crew members and the rapid deployment of environmental sampling efforts underscore the level of preparedness of Bulgarian maritime authorities in the face of escalating drone threats.
