In brief
The vessel, reported as *CONTSHIP JET* by the Maritime Administration, was hit by three maritime drones east of Cape Kaliakra and sank around midnight. All 18 crew members were rescued and taken to Varna. Authorities are conducting seawater sampling and monitoring for pollutants, with results to be made public.
A container vessel was struck by three maritime drones south of Cape Kaliakra and sank near midnight on Wednesday, 25 February 2027, according to the Varna Regional Administration. The incident was also confirmed by the traffic control centre and the Maritime Administration Executive Agency, which reported that the ship – cited as CONTSHIP JET – was located roughly 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla.
Sources differ on the cargo aboard the vessel. The Varna Regional Administration said the ship carried lithium‑ion batteries, while the Maritime Administration stated that it was transporting light fuel oil, specifically gas oil, within 421 containers that included various fuels and other hazardous materials. The second source also noted that 20 of those containers fell overboard during the incident.
All 18 crew members, 14 of whom were Filipino and four Ukrainian, were rescued by Bulgarian authorities and brought to Varna, a fact confirmed by both agencies.
Following the sinking, teams from the Defence Ministry quickly collected seawater samples at two locations within Bulgarian territorial waters. Those initial samples revealed no visible signs of pollution, according to the Defence Ministry’s report.
Maritime Administration inspectors subsequently examined the sunken vessel and informed Regional Governor Mario Smarkov that, based on the cargo of gas oil, no significant adverse effects on the marine environment or coastline were expected at this stage. The Maritime Administration stated that the fuel is expected to evaporate relatively quickly and is unlikely to reach the Bulgarian coast.
On Thursday, the Environment and Water Ministry announced that teams from the Black Sea Basin Directorate and the Executive Environment Agency would collect seawater samples at five coastal locations: Durankulak, Shabla, Cape Kaliakra, Byala, and Sozopol. These samples will be tested for petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls, metals, and other physicochemical indicators of water quality, with analysis to be performed at the agency’s regional laboratories in Varna and Burgas.
In addition to the coastal sites, sampling is planned in the area surrounding the container ship’s final position. The purpose of these investigations is to determine whether any pollution is present and whether there have been changes in seawater quality that cannot be detected through visual inspection alone.
Both the Environment and Water Ministry and the competent authorities have pledged to continue inspections and monitoring. They have also stated that the results of the sampling will be made public once the analysis is complete.
With the ongoing coordination among defence, maritime, and environmental agencies, Bulgarian officials maintain that they are prepared to take timely action should a pollution risk or change in the situation arise.
