Contship Jet sank off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast after drone strikes
The Liberian-flagged container ship Contship Jet sank Thursday after three maritime drones struck it off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast Wednesday, the local maritime administration said. All 18 crew members were rescued and taken to Varna for medical checks. Navy teams reported no signs of pollution; maritime.bg reported some containers carried hazardous materials, including lithium-ion batteries.
More context
After drone strikes off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, the Liberian-flagged Contship Jet went down, the local maritime administration said Thursday. Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said three maritime drones hit the vessel Wednesday, about 21 nautical miles offshore. It was the fifth drone attack this month in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone.
Bulgarian naval and border police vessels brought the 18 crew members — 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians — to Varna for medical checks after rescuing them.
Maritime.bg reported some containers held lithium-ion batteries, flammable liquids, gases and other hazardous materials. After sampling several sites in Bulgarian territorial waters, Navy teams found no signs of pollution.
In a statement after talks in Sofia, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey condemned attacks on commercial vessels and called for an immediate cessation. They agreed to stronger intelligence sharing, early-warning capabilities and coordination in the Black Sea.
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Audacy, WRAL.com, and The Seattle Times all report that the drone-struck vessel sank off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast. Their articles are Associated Press copy, so they support the claim but do not provide separate independent reporting.