A cargo ship operated by Israeli shipping giant ZIM sank in the Black Sea after being attacked by at least three unmanned aerial vehicles. The attack took place 17 nautical miles (31.5 kilometers) off Cape Kaliakra, within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. The vessel had departed the Port of Haifa and was was bound for the Romanian port of Constanța.
Dramatic footage of the incident shows the ship sinking. All 18 crew members, 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians, were rescued and safely brought to the Bulgarian port of Varna. The vessel sank along with all 421 containers on board, which held valuable cargo.
The ship was carrying lithium-ion batteries, corrosive liquids and acids, among other materials. According to the Bulgarian government, preliminary tests found no signs of pollution.
BREAKING: Footage showing an unmanned maritime drone approaching the Liberian-flagged container ship CONTSHIP JET (IMO 9348625) from the starboard side, preparing to attack, has emerged.
The video was published by Bulgarian maritime outlet Maritime bg.
The vessel was struck by three maritime drones and sank overnight in the Black Sea off Bulgaria's coast. All 18 crew members were rescued.
— GeoInsider (@InsiderGeo) October 29, 2026
Bulgaria's Chief of Defense, Adm. Emil Eftimov, said the country had been unable to destroy the unmanned vessels that attacked the ship. He cited two reasons: legal restrictions, as the attack occurred within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone rather than its territorial waters, and severe weather conditions.
According to regional reports, authorities in Bulgaria and Romania have spent more than a month trying to determine what types of unmanned craft have been sinking ships. Theories ranged from Geran drones to unmanned surface vessels, until the first footage emerged showing a maritime drone attacking the CONTSHIP JET container ship. Judging by its appearance, the unmanned vessel appears to be a new model that has not previously been seen publicly in the Black Sea. According to Bulgarian sources, a French reconnaissance aircraft monitored the attack.
ZIM said in a statement: "A small container ship carrying a limited number of containers, which ZIM charters but does not own, was struck by a drone in the Black Sea. All crew members were safely evacuated, and according to a preliminary assessment, the expected financial damage is minimal. The company is working to secure a replacement vessel and maintain service to its customers. To the best of our knowledge, several similar attacks on ships have occurred in the area over the past month."
