Russian Drones Sank Civilian Ship on NATO’s Black Sea Doorstep, Official Says
Summary
NATO intelligence assessed that Russian sea drones struck and sank the Greek-owned container ship Contship Jet off Bulgaria on October 28, a NATO official told Newsweek. The ship was outside Bulgaria’s territorial waters; its 18 crew members were rescued without reported casualties. NATO has increased surveillance and patrol resources in the Black Sea amid attacks on commercial shipping.Key Facts
- Three sea drones struck the Liberian-flagged Contship Jet east of Cape Kaliakra in the western Black Sea.
- The vessel was traveling from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania.
- Bulgarian Navy ships joined the search and rescue operation, and all 18 crew members survived.
- A NATO official said equipment features identified the drones as Russian-made; the official cited a second intelligence source with “100 percent certainty.”
- The NATO official said Russia may be deliberately targeting commercial ships but may not intend to strike inside NATO members’ territorial waters.
- Bulgarian authorities said a French maritime patrol aircraft detected the drones about 30 minutes before the impact.
- NATO said it was sending additional radar systems, drones, patrol aircraft and intelligence teams to the Black Sea; at least one U.S. P-8 patrol aircraft was deployed, Newsweek reported.
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