In brief
The container ship CONTSHIP JET struck by maritime drones sank around midnight Wednesday near Cape Kaliakra, and all 18 crew were rescued and flown to Varna. Maritime authorities inspected the wreck and declared no immediate environmental impact expected, while the Environment and Water Ministry has scheduled extensive seawater sampling at five coastal sites on Thursday. A pre‑trial military investigation has also been opened into the drone attack.
The container ship CONTSHIP JET was struck by three maritime drones east of Cape Kaliakra on Wednesday and sank around midnight, Varna Regional Administration officials reported, and all 18 crew members were rescued and brought to Varna.
BTA carried the Varna Regional Administration’s account that the vessel’s cargo included lithium‑ion batteries, while the Maritime Administration Executive Agency said the ship was carrying light fuel oil—specifically gas oil—expected to evaporate quickly and not reach the Bulgarian coast, and no significant adverse effects on the marine environment were anticipated at this stage.
Teams from the Defence Ministry collected seawater samples at two points in Bulgarian territorial waters and reported no visible signs of pollution, BTA noted.
On Thursday, the Environment and Water Ministry said that teams from the Black Sea Basin Directorate and the Executive Environment Agency would collect samples at five coastal locations near Durankulak, Shabla, Cape Kaliakra, Byala, and Sozopol, testing for petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls, metals, and other physicochemical indicators of water quality.
These samples will be analysed at the Executive Environment Agency’s regional laboratories in Varna and Burgas, with the results to be made public, the Ministry added.
The Sofia Military District Prosecution Office has opened a pre‑trial investigation into the drone attack, probing allegations of prohibited use of maritime drones against a neutral‑flagged vessel and potential violations of international law, BTA reported.
