Overview
- Three maritime drones hit the Liberian-flagged Contship Jet about 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla on Wednesday, all 18 crew members were rescued and the ship sank overnight.
- A French Navy Atlantique 2 detected the surface drones, warned the vessel and relayed the position to Bulgarian forces, which aided the rescue but said they lacked means to stop the fast-moving drones before impact.
- The Contship Jet was carrying 421 containers that included lithium-ion batteries, flammable liquids and corrosive materials, and initial naval checks found no visible pollution while environmental monitoring continues.
- No group has claimed responsibility, Ukraine and Bulgarian officials have pointed to Russia while Moscow denies involvement, and NATO and regional states have stepped up patrols, intelligence sharing and forensic investigations to gather evidence.
- The strike is the latest in a wave of sea-drone attacks this month on commercial ships in the western Black Sea, a pattern that has sunk multiple vessels, left seafarers missing or dead and raised risks to grain exports and wider shipping routes.