Contship Jet Sinks in Black Sea After Naval Drone Attack
Cubierto por 3 fuentesPublicado
The container ship Contship Jet, flying the Liberian flag and owned by Greek shipowners, was hit by three naval drones on October 28 and ultimately sank in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The entire crew was rescued following the attack.
Crew rescue
The Contship Jet was sailing from Israel to Romania, bound for the port of Constanta, when it was attacked. There were 18 crew members on board, 14 Filipino nationals and four Ukrainians, who were rescued by the Bulgarian Navy and border police and taken to Varna for medical assistance.
The seafarers' account
According to the testimony of the Filipino crew members, the captain ordered them to jump into the water after the first drone strike, and they remained at sea for two to three hours before being rescued. The 14 Filipino seafarers arrived back in the Philippines on November 2, via Doha, at Clark International Airport, after being interviewed by Bulgarian authorities in Varna.
Part of a wave of attacks
The attack on the Contship Jet adds to a series of incidents recorded in recent weeks against merchant vessels off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, amid the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Black Sea. These episodes include the sinking of the bulk carriers Alfa Watan and HS Dignity, and the attack on the vessel Khoryv, among other cases recorded between October 5 and 23.
No pollution detected
Bulgaria's Black Sea Basin Directorate reported that seawater analyses conducted since the sinking of the Contship Jet showed no evidence of pollution linked to the incident. The results, released on November 3, correspond to samples taken at five points along the Bulgarian coast, though some analyses were still pending.
