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Black Sea Drone Strike Hits Contship Jet, Crew Evacuated

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Bulgaria's Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said three naval drones struck the container ship Contship Jet.
The attack occurred 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla near Cape Kaliakra at 1 p.m. on Oct. 28.
Fourteen Filipino and four Ukrainian crew members were evacuated to Varna.
Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey condemned the strike and agreed on a Black Sea security coordination mechanism.

Summary

The Maritime Administration, Navy, Air Force, Border Police and Emergency Rescue unit rescued the Liberian-flagged CONTSHIP JET.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Constanta received the distress call at 12:01 p.m. on Oct 28 2026.
Crew members abandoned the ship at 12:13 p.m.
Eight sailors boarded a navy boat at 12:53 p.m.
The remaining ten sailors were transferred to a Bulgarian Navy vessel.

History

Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea, formalized on 18 March, placed the Black Sea Fleet under Moscow and marked the post-World-War European annexation. The move caused power outages for about 30 % of Crimean homes and led NATO to suspend cooperation with Russia while regional navies started joint patrols. In October 2026, Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov condemned a drone strike on the Contship Jet near Cape Kaliakra, prompting NATO-backed anti-drone patrols.

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Russia’s 2014 seizure of Crimea, formalized on 18 March, placed the Black Sea Fleet under Moscow and marked the post-World-War European annexation. The move caused power outages for about 30 % of Crimean homes and led NATO to suspend cooperation with Russia while regional navies started joint patrols. In October 2026, Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov condemned a drone strike on the Contship Jet near Cape Kaliakra, prompting NATO-backed anti-drone patrols.

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