New visual evidence has been obtained regarding the attack on the Liberian-flagged vessel that was targeted by sea drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast on 28 October. The incident involving the Greek-managed Contship Jet tanker was the fifth recorded drone strike within the NATO nation's exclusive economic zone during the month of October.
The tanker was travelling from the Israeli port of Haifa to Constanța in Romania when it was struck by three maritime drones. All 18 crew members—comprising 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians—were successfully rescued by Bulgarian naval and border police vessels. The crew members were subsequently transported to the port city of Varna to undergo medical evaluations.
Following the strike, the Bulgarian Military District Prosecutor's Office announced it had opened a preliminary investigation on 29 October. While the investigation remains ongoing, Russia is suspected of being behind the recent wave of attacks targeting commercial vessels in the Black Sea. This trend has led some alliance members to question if Russian President Vladimir Putin is seeking to test their support for Ukraine as it continues to fight against Moscow’s full-scale invasion. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told his country's parliament earlier this month that while the logic points in that direction, the country currently lacks the evidence to prove it.
Reports from the maritime.bg site indicated that some containers aboard the vessel were carrying hazardous materials, including lithium-ion batteries, flammable liquids, and gases. However, navy teams conducting water samples at multiple locations in Bulgarian territorial waters reported no signs of pollution.
The attack occurred as defense ministers from Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey met in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, to discuss security in the Black Sea region. In a statement following the talks, the three NATO countries strongly condemned the strikes on vessels in the Black Sea and called for an “immediate cessation of attacks that threaten commercial ships, maritime infrastructure and the safety of maritime activities.” The three nations also agreed on stronger intelligence sharing, early warning capabilities, and coordination in the region. In response to the broader security challenge, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated on 15 October in a post on X that the alliance had "strengthened" its "posture along the eastern flank including with increasing counter-drone capabilities."
