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By: Edward Graham Sebbie
A Greek-managed container ship has sunk in the Black Sea after being struck by three naval drones off the coast of Bulgaria, in what has become the latest in a series of attacks threatening commercial shipping in the region.
The Liberian-flagged vessel CONTSHIP JET, loaded with 421 containers, was badly damaged on Wednesday, October 28, while passing through Bulgaria’s Exclusive Economic Zone, outside its territorial waters. The ship was en route from Haifa in Israel to Constanta in Romania when it was hit.
According to the Bulgarian government and the ship’s manager Contships Management, the crew of 18, comprising 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians, were all rescued and transferred safely to the Bulgarian port of Varna.
Video footage verified by Reuters showed a sea drone driving alongside the vessel before turning sharply towards its hull, followed by an explosion that caused the ship to list and eventually sink.
Maritime risk management firm Ambrey, which analysed footage reportedly filmed on a handheld device by a crew member onboard, said the drone was a matte black, 5-6 meter-long unmanned surface vehicle, USV, approaching at high speed. Senior analyst at Ambrey Analytics, Tomas Alexa, said the manoeuvres indicated it was remotely controlled and was likely a variant of, or derived from, the Russian Murena-300S design.
It was not immediately clear who carried out the attack, which has added to growing concerns about the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on commercial shipping in the western Black Sea. Moscow has denied involvement in recent attacks and did not immediately comment on Wednesday’s incident.
Bulgarian naval commander Kiril Mihaylov told national television that authorities had been alerted to a possible drone attack by a French patrol aircraft but had been unable to prevent it.
The Bulgarian government said initial inspections conducted on Thursday found no visible traces of pollution from the ship, whose cargo included lithium-ion batteries, corrosive liquids and acids and industrial components. Border police vessels continue to monitor the area.
At least six ships have been attacked by drones off Bulgaria this month alone, and about two dozen seafarers are feared dead, according to government statements, raising fears of a widening scope of the conflict.
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, reacting to the sinking of the Greek-managed vessel, called for a global maritime truce, describing targeted attacks on civilian commercial shipping as completely unacceptable.
The International Maritime Organization has been urged to intervene as shipping companies reassess routes through the western Black Sea.
Contships Management said it is cooperating with Bulgarian authorities and that the welfare of the crew remains its priority.
