A Bulgarian‑registered container vessel struck by three maritime drones off the coast of Cape Kaliakra sank around midnight on Wednesday, the Varna Regional Administration reported. The 21‑nautical‑mile incident occurred southeast of Shabla and forced the ship, the container‑carrying CONTSHIP JET, into the Black Sea’s depths. All 18 crew members—14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians—were rescued and transported to Varna for medical care.
Environmental Monitoring Plans
Bulgarian authorities have announced extensive seawater sampling in the area to assess the possibility of pollution. Two teams from the Defence Ministry already collected samples from two locations in territorial waters and found no visible signs of contamination. However, the Environment and Water Ministry plans to collect further samples at five coastal sites—Durankulak, Shabla, Cape Kaliakra, Byala and Sozopol—on Thursday. The samples will be tested for petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls, metals and other physicochemical indicators of water quality at the Executive Environment Agency’s regional laboratories in Varna and Burgas. The Ministry stresses that the aim is to detect any pollution that “cannot be detected through visual inspection alone.” The results will be made public, it added.
In a separate assessment, the Maritime Administration Executive Agency inspected the sunken vessel and concluded that “no significant adverse effects on the marine environment or coastline were expected at this stage.” The experts cited the cargo of the ship, which consisted of 421 containers of various fuels and other hazardous cargo—including light fuel oil (gas oil) that evaporates quickly—as a major factor. They noted that the evaporating oil is unlikely to reach the Bulgarian coast, although twenty containers fell overboard during the incident. The Agency has maintained constant coordination with other competent state authorities and will continue monitoring the marine environment. Seawater samples will be taken on Thursday at the five aforementioned coastal locations.
China‑based BTA sources that first reported the event emphasized that the container ship’s cargo included lithium‑ion batteries, a potential fire hazard that raised additional concerns among maritime safety officials. The First‑hand accounts from the Varna Regional Administration were corroborated by the Maritime Administration and the Defence Ministry, all of whom confirmed that the vessel sank after the drone strike and that all crew were safely extracted.
The incident marks the fifth drone attack within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone since the start of October. The growing frequency has drawn the attention of the Defence Ministry, prompting the deployment of new anti‑drone capabilities and increased intelligence efforts, according to outgoing Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov.
We are not at war. The drones did not enter territorial waters, so we did not take action.
Admiral Eftimov clarified that the drones that struck the vessel came from the east and did not cross into Bulgarian territorial waters. He added that the air force and maritime forces were on alert, but severe weather limited the operational readiness of unmanned aerial vehicles. Eftimov stressed that “we have no authority to act outside our territorial waters” yet highlighted that new legislation is underway to allow the military to respond during peacetime. The Admiral also mentioned that Bulgaria is part of an alliance that provides access to shared capabilities and that continuous communication with NATO’s command is maintained.
While the Maritime Administration expressed confidence that the ship’s cargo would not inflict lasting damage, the Environment and Water Ministry has taken a precautionary stance, organizing a comprehensive sampling program that will involve multiple laboratories and coastal monitoring points. The dual approach reflects differing institutional perspectives on both the immediacy of pollution risks and the adequacy of existing surveillance measures. The situation remains under close observation, and any changes in the evaluative assumptions will trigger timely action from the responsible authorities.
