Three naval drones struck the Liberian-flagged container ship Contship Jet off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast on Wednesday, Bulgaria's government and the ship's owner said — the latest attack on merchant shipping on NATO's eastern flank. All 18 crew members were evacuated safely.

Source: Reuters

The attack happened a little before 1 p.m. local time, about 21 nautical miles southeast of the coastal town of Shabla, near Cape Kaliakra in northeastern Bulgaria, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told reporters on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Sofia.

Source: Associated Press

Bulgaria's transport ministry said four naval and police boats were sent to assist the vessel, which was sailing from the Israeli port of Haifa to Constanta in Romania. The owner, Contships Management, confirmed the attack. A maritime security source told Reuters the ship had been badly damaged and was listing. The rescued sailors were being taken to the port city of Varna for medical checks, the Bulgarian state news agency BTA reported.

It was not clear who carried out the attack, and no one had claimed responsibility. Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey — whose defence ministers were meeting in Sofia the same day — strongly condemned the drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and called for an immediate cessation of attacks threatening commercial ships and maritime safety. The three NATO countries also agreed on stronger intelligence sharing, early-warning capabilities and coordination in the Black Sea.

The strike is part of a growing pattern. At least six merchant vessels have been attacked off Bulgaria in recent weeks, according to Reuters, and the Associated Press reported that attacks in Bulgarian and Romanian exclusive economic zones have left two people dead, with at least 25 still missing. Bulgaria is a member of the European Union and NATO and has sought allied assistance to bolster maritime security.

For Punjabi and Indian seafarers and traders, the Black Sea is not a distant map point: it is a working grain and cargo corridor. Repeated attacks on civilian ships raise insurance costs, delay grain and goods movements, and put multinational crews — including South Asian sailors who crew much of the world's merchant fleet — directly in harm's way.

What happens next: Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey say they will step up intelligence sharing and early warning in the Black Sea, while NATO has already said it strengthened its eastern-flank posture this month, including counter-drone capabilities. Whether the Contship Jet can be towed to port, and whether another vessel is hit, will decide how far this shipping crisis spreads.