A container ship sailing from Israel toward Romania sank in the western Black Sea after being struck by multiple maritime drones off Bulgaria’s coast, according to reports from Bulgarian authorities and maritime media. Video released by Bulgarian maritime outlet Maritime.bg reportedly shows a sea drone approaching the Liberian-flagged Contship Jet before the vessel was hit. Bulgaria’s defense minister said three maritime drones struck the ship around midday approximately 20 nautical miles off the coast near Cape Kaliakra, within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. All 18 crew members were rescued by the Bulgarian Navy and border police and transported to Varna, with no fatalities reported. Bulgarian media subsequently reported that the vessel sank around midnight, turning the attack into a major maritime incident involving a commercial ship carrying potentially hazardous cargo.

Reports indicate that the ship, operated by Israel-linked shipping company ZIM, was carrying hundreds of containers containing various goods, including lithium-ion batteries, corrosive liquids and acids. Some accounts put the total at 421 containers, while reports of more than 20 containers drifting at sea have raised concerns about the potential environmental and maritime hazards. Bulgarian officials reportedly said legal restrictions and severe weather conditions limited their ability to destroy the drones, while a French reconnaissance aircraft monitored the incident. No party has been officially identified as responsible for the attack, and any connection to Russia’s wider campaign against commercial shipping in the Black Sea remains unconfirmed in the information provided. The sinking highlights the growing risks facing commercial vessels in a region affected by the Russia-Ukraine war, where maritime drone attacks can threaten civilian crews, disrupt shipping routes and create dangerous situations involving hazardous cargo.