Containership Struck Off Bulgaria as Ministers Meet to Increase Security
A Greek-owned containership operating a route for Zim was struck off Bulgaria midday on Wednesday, October 28, with the Bulgarian Navy rescuing the crew. The latest attack on commercial shipping in the western Black Sea came as the ministers from Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey were meeting to coordinate their security efforts.
The ministers issued a statement calling for “an immediate halt to attacks that threaten commercial vessels, maritime infrastructure, and the safety of maritime activities.” They said they believe the risks grow each day and said they were committed to working together to increase security.
Evidence of the increased risks was announced by the Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov, who reported that a rescue operation was underway in the Black Sea. He said that a French maritime patrol aircraft flying over the western part of the Black Sea had provided information to the Naval forces’ operation center. Reuters reported yesterday that France had relocated its Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft to an air base in Romania as of October 18 and it would be conducting surveillance missions until November 6.
The Bulgarian Navy reports that the containership Contship Jet was struck by a surface drone at approximately noon while the vessel was 17 miles east of Cape Kaliakra near Varna. The Navy sent three vessels, along with one vessel from the Border Police. Reports say the 18,000 dwt containership was struck by three drones, which started a fire and left the vessel with a heavy list.
The Navy evacuated eight seafarers and located 10 others who were in the ship’s lifeboat. They were all in good condition and transferred to Varna. Four of the crewmembers are reported to be Ukrainians and 14 from the Philippines.
The Contship Jet was built in 2007 and has a capacity for 1,276 TEU. It is registered in Liberia and has been operating for Contships Management of Greece since 2019. It is listed as operating on the Levant – Black Sea Express route for ZIM and was coming from Ashdod and Haifa, Israel. It makes stops in Romania and Bulgaria before a stop in Egypt on the return voyage. It was reported to be carrying 421 containers.
Speaking to the media after the meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria, the ministers said, “To date, numerous commercial vessels have been attacked by the parties in the Black Sea, while drifting mines, unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that went out of control or were struck, as well as missile debris, have been destroyed.”
Reports indicate that the Contship Jet was the ninth vessel struck since the start of October in the western Black Sea. Reuters reports that a total of 34 sailors have been killed or are missing from these attacks.
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Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey agreed to a series of coordination steps, including strengthening intelligence sharing and improving early warning systems. Turkey’s National Defense Minister Yasar Guler said his country also reserves all its legal rights and might pursue legal action concerning the attacks on Turkish-flagged or operated vessels.
Bulgarian officials also said that they were monitoring the capsized vessel Khoryv (IMO 8138712) as it drifted into the country’s waters. The Comoros-flagged ship (3,280 dtw) was struck on October 23, killing one crewmember, leaving three missing, and nine rescued by the Romanians. Bulgaria warned the vessel was drifting into its zone, and its navy was planning to inspect the wreck. Today, the maritime authorities issued a warning to remain at least half a nautical mile from the ship, which is now 13 nautical miles east of Cape Sivri Burun in northernmost Bulgaria and drifting to the southwest. Bulgaria said it is prepared to act if the wreck continues to approach its shores.
