Drone attack hits container ship off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, defense minister says
The crew evacuated and no casualties were reported as the latest strike added to a series of drone attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea.
- On Wednesday, three naval drones struck the Liberian-flagged container ship Contship Jet about 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla near Cape Kaliakra, Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov reported. The crew evacuated without casualties.
- This strike is part of a series of drone attacks this month off the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria, where at least 6 merchant vessels have been targeted, raising concerns about Black Sea shipping security.
- Estimates on the human toll vary: some reports note two deaths and at least 25 missing, while others suggest drone strikes have likely killed two-dozen seafarers in recent weeks. Authorities have not definitively identified the perpetrator.
- The attack occurred while defense ministers from Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey met in Sofia for trilateral Black Sea security talks. Suspicion has fallen on Moscow, though Russia denied involvement; Prime Minister Rumen Radev noted the difficulty proving responsibility.
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced on Oct. 15 that the alliance "strengthened our posture along the eastern flank including with increasing counter-drone capabilities," as regional governments implement enhanced defenses to protect maritime routes.
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<p>In the Black Sea, drones attacked a Liberian-flagged container ship In the Black Sea off Bulgaria, drones hit CONTSHIP JET. All 18 crew members were rescued, no casualties.</p>
Defence Minister Stefan Radu Oprea announces Wednesday that he learned about the new ship hit in the Black Sea while in Sofia, at the trilateral meeting of defence ministers from Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. The attack is a new serious threat to freedom of navigation and regional security.
On Wednesday, three maritime drones struck the "Contship Jet", which was sailing off the Bulgarian coast, said the Bulgarian Minister of Defence, Dimitar Stoyanov. This is the latest episode of a series of such incidents on the eastern flank of NATO. The eighteen crew members were evacuated.
Three naval drones struck a container ship sailing in the Black Sea near the Bulgarian coast on Wednesday, the country's defense minister said.
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