Container Ship Hit by Three Drones in Bulgaria’s Exclusive Economic Zone in the Black Sea; Crew Rescued

Another merchant vessel was struck at midday on October 28 in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. It was sailing under the Liberian flag and carrying 421 containers.

The ship was hit by three military drones approximately 17 nautical miles east of Cape Kaliakra.

Bulgarian teams rescued all 18 sailors, some of whom were in the water after abandoning the vessel in an emergency.

The rescued sailors arrived at Varna’s Sea Station.

The incident was reported at 12:00 to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Constanța.

The crew immediately abandoned the vessel, and a rescue operation began, involving the Bulgarian Navy, Border Police and the General Directorate for Emergency Rescue Activities.

All 18 sailors from the crew of the drone-struck container ship “Contship Jet” have been rescued.

Vessels belonging to the Bulgarian Navy and Border Police were dispatched to the area.

The strike was monitored by a Bulgarian Navy surveillance system and a French patrol aircraft. A total of three impacts on the ship were observed.

Information about the sighting of maritime drones was received by the Bulgarian Navy’s Operations Centre from a French maritime patrol aircraft conducting a flight over the western Black Sea.

Shortly before 13:00, eight of the sailors were taken aboard a Bulgarian Navy patrol boat, while the remaining 10 were in the ship’s lifeboat. All the sailors were rescued.

A representative of the Greek company managing the vessel thanked Bulgaria for its swift response and for rescuing the sailors, who are expected to arrive shortly before 20:00.