There were four Ukrainians on board the container ship that was attacked in the Black Sea

In the Black Sea, within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, the container ship CONTSHIP JET sank as a result of an attack by maritime drones. Four Ukrainian sailors were on board the vessel.

This was reported by Novinite.

The Ukrainians, along with 14 colleagues from the Philippines, were rescued and evacuated to the port of Varna.

The rescue operation was carried out with the participation of Bulgaria’s emergency and rescue services, the Maritime Administration, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Border Police.

The container ship was en route from the Israeli port of Haifa to Constanta, Romania. Three holes were punctured in the ship’s starboard side as a result of drone strikes. Of the 421 containers on board, 20 fell into the sea. The ship itself sank around midnight on the night of October 29, 2026.

Bulgarian media reported that the cargo that fell into the Black Sea contained lithium-ion batteries, flammable gases, non-flammable and non-toxic gases, and other hazardous substances. Bulgarian experts took water samples in the area of the sinking. According to preliminary findings, no fuel or chemical leaks have been detected so far.

The specialized maritime website Maritime.bg published a video of the drone attack. The footage shows a maritime drone rapidly approaching the starboard side of the container ship. 

Юлія Калабайда