Three drones strike container ship off Bulgaria, 18 sailors rescued
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Zambian Observer
Three maritime drones struck the Contship Jet container ship off Bulgaria, forcing its 18 sailors to abandon the vessel. All were rescued, while the origin of the attack remains unknown, according to the ship’s owner and Bulgaria’s Transport Ministry.
Three maritime drones struck the Contship Jet container ship off Bulgaria on Wednesday 28 October 2026, forcing its 18 crew members to abandon the vessel. The four Ukrainian sailors and 14 Filipinos were rescued and are safe ashore, according to the ship’s owner.
Flying the Liberian flag, the Contship Jet was sailing from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania, with 421 containers on board. The attack took place about 17 nautical miles east of Cape Kaliakra, in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. Bulgarian navy and border police vessels intervened, reports the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport.
No one has been identified as responsible for the attack. Two ships had already been hit on 6 October, followed by two more on 13 October, including the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3. Its 15 crew members were rescued, while one sailor received medical assistance and the other vessel sank.
The incident took place as Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish defence officials met in Sofia to discuss security in the Black Sea. The three NATO countries condemned the attacks on commercial vessels and called for them to stop.
