Sea drones strike container ship off Bulgaria as NATO allies discuss Black Sea security
Three maritime drones struck a container ship off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast on October 28, prompting the evacuation of its 18 crew members, Bulgarian public broadcaster BNT reported.
The Liberian-flagged CONTSHIP JET was attacked approximately 21 nautical miles (39 kilometers) from the Bulgarian town of Shabla, near Cape Kaliakra. The vessel had departed Haifa, Israel, and was heading to Constanța, Romania.
All 18 crew members were rescued, according to Bulgaria's Transport Ministry.
BNT reported that the ship sustained serious damage to its starboard side. Fishermen in the area reported seeing the vessel on fire.
The attack occurred as the defense ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey were meeting in Sofia to discuss regional security.
"These tragic incidents represent a dangerous escalation of tensions and pose serious risks to the safety of navigation," Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said.
The three NATO allies condemned drone attacks on commercial vessels and agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing, early warning capabilities and coordination in the Black Sea.
They also agreed to establish a trilateral coordination mechanism and hold further consultations in Bucharest and Ankara.
The party responsible for the October 28 attack has not been identified.
It follows two other incidents involving commercial ships near Bulgaria this month. On October 6, two vessels were attacked, one of which sank. Another ship, the Malta-flagged Chelsea 3, was struck on October 13.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously denied Ukrainian involvement in the October 6 attacks and accused Russia of carrying them out. Those allegations have not established responsibility for the latest incident.