In brief
Three maritime drones hit the container ship CONTSHIP JET near Cape Kaliakra on 28 October, causing the vessel to sink around midnight. All 18 crew members were rescued and Bulgarian authorities are conducting extensive seawater sampling to detect any pollution. Admiral Emil Eftimov noted that the drones did not enter Bulgarian territorial waters and that no action was taken.
A container ship was struck by three maritime drones off the coast of Bulgaria east of Cape Kaliakra on Wednesday 28 October. The vessel, identified as CONTSHIP JET, sank around midnight, Varna Regional Administration officials confirmed. All 18 crew members were rescued and brought to Varna.
The ship was carrying 421 containers that included lithium‑ion batteries and light fuel oil, notably gas oil that evaporates quickly. The incident marks the fifth drone attack in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone since the beginning of October, a fact noted by the Marine Administration Executive Agency during its inspection.
The Marine Administration assessment concluded that no significant adverse effects on the marine environment or coastline were expected. According to the agency, the gas oil carried by the vessel would evaporate rapidly and is unlikely to reach the Bulgarian coast.
Teams from the Defence Ministry initially collected samples from two locations in Bulgarian territorial waters and found no visible signs of pollution. Confirmation of the lack of visible contamination was provided by the Varna Regional Administration and the Maritime Administration Executive Agency.
In response to the incident, the Environment and Water Ministry announced that seawater samples would be taken on Thursday across five coastal sites: Durankulak, Shabla, Cape Kaliakra, Byala and Sozopol. The samples will be analysed for petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls, metals and other physicochemical indicators of water quality.
Samples will be processed at the Executive Environment Agency’s regional laboratories in Varna and Burgas, as well as in the area surrounding the sunken ship, in order to identify any subtle changes in seawater quality that cannot be detected by visual inspection alone.
Admiral Emil Eftimov, Bulgaria’s outgoing Chief of Defence, addressed the incident in an interview for bTV. "We are not at war. The drones did not enter territorial waters, so we did not take action," he said at 11:06 UTC. He added that the drones had come from the east and that Bulgaria’s surveillance, intelligence and early‑warning systems were being enhanced. Admiral Eftimov emphasised that no authority could provide definitive information on the origin of the hostile actions and that Bulgaria would exercise its rights within territorial waters only.
Marine Administration teams inspected the sunken vessel and reported that twenty containers fell overboard during the attack, with the remaining cargo likely either damaged or undamaged. The Maritime Administration informed Regional Governor Mario Smarkov that the situation did not pose an immediate marine or coastal threat.
The Defence Ministry and other competent authorities are maintaining close coordination in response to this day’s attacking incidents. The continuous monitoring of the marine environment is in place, and the environment agency’s laboratories will release the network results to the public, according to a statement from the Ministry.
Varna residents and shipping companies were notified that the incident has prompted an escalation in maritime security coverage in the region. The incident continued to be highlighted in national media, with Varna-based public broadcasters and newspapers emphasizing the importance of securing trade routes in the Black Sea.
While the early assessment expects no severe environmental damage, the comprehensive sampling strategy aims to monitor potential cumulative impacts of multiple attacks in the exclusive economic zone.
In summary, the Colombian container ship sank shortly after a drone strike, the crew was safely rescued, and Bulgaria’s authorities are implementing extensive seawater sampling to ensure no pollution reaches the coast.
