In brief
The ship, named CONTSHIP JET, sank after being struck by three maritime drones about 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla. All 18 crew members were rescued and taken to Varna. Bulgarian authorities inspected the wreck and, after confirming the cargo consisted of gas oil, said the spill would evaporate quickly and pose no immediate harmful impact on the shoreline. Further seawater samples will be taken at five coastal sites and from the ship’s former location to monitor for petroleum and other contaminants.
A container vessel was struck by three maritime drones east of Cape Kaliakra and sank around midnight Wednesday, an incident confirmed by the Varna Regional Administration and traffic control officials as reported by BTA. The ship, named CONTSHIP JET, was travelling southeast of Shabla when the drones hit it. According to BTA, 18 crew members—14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians—were rescued and brought to Varna.
Marine authorities inspected the wreck shortly after it sank. Maritime Administration Executive Agency teams found that the cargo included light fuel oil, specifically gas oil, which evaporates quickly and is not expected to reach the Bulgarian coast, BTA reported. The agency informed Regional Governor Mario Smarkov that no significant adverse effects on the marine environment or coastline were anticipated, and that monitoring would continue.
In response to the drone attack, the Environment and Water Ministry announced that seawater sampling was scheduled for Thursday at five coastal locations—Durankulak, Shabla, Cape Kaliakra, Byala, and Sozopol. Samples will be tested for petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls and metals, as well as other physicochemical indicators of water quality. The Executive Environment Agency’s regional laboratories in Varna and Burgas will conduct the analyses.
Additional sampling is planned around the area where the ship sank, with results to be released to the public. Officials say the intent is to detect any pollution that visual inspection could miss and to monitor changes in seawater quality.
