Off the coast of Bulgaria, three sea drones attacked a container ship operating on the Israeli ZIM line. All 18 sailors, including four Ukrainians, were rescued. Containers with hazardous substances ended up in the sea. Who is interested in attacks on commercial ships and why does this concern Israel?
Author: R.Verter
On October 28, 2026, the container ship CONTSHIP JET, en route from Haifa, Israel to Constanta, Romania, was attacked by three sea drones near Cape Kaliakra, Bulgaria. The ship sustained serious damage, and all 18 crew members were rescued. More than twenty containers, including those with hazardous substances, ended up in the Black Sea. The attack was confirmed by Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov.
The container ship sailed under the Liberian flag, belonged to a Greek shipping structure, but operated on the Israeli ZIM line. Its last cargo operations before the attack were in Ashdod and Haifa. The strike occurred after a series of October attacks on commercial ships near Bulgaria and Romania, which resulted in casualties and missing sailors. Ukraine accuses Russia, but Moscow denies involvement. The perpetrator of the attack on CONTSHIP JET has not yet been officially identified.
Three sea drones: how the container ship was attacked and the crew rescued
According to the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport, at 12:01, rescue services received a signal through the Constanta maritime coordination center. At 12:13, the crew abandoned the ship. The attack site was approximately 16–17 nautical miles east of Cape Kaliakra. The Defense Minister indicated another landmark — 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla, located on the same stretch of coast.
Three Bulgarian Navy ships, a border police vessel, aviation, and the Maritime Administration were dispatched to the container ship. Bulgarian media also reported assistance from a nearby tanker.
Among the rescued were four Ukrainians
By 12:53, eight sailors were already on a military boat, while the remaining ten awaited rescue in a lifeboat. All were taken to safety, with reception organized in Varna involving border guards and medics. Transport Minister Georgi Peev thanked the rescuers.
According to Reuters and a representative of the shipowner, the crew consisted of 14 Filipino citizens and four Ukrainians. The Greek management company Contships Management confirmed the rescue of all eighteen people.
Fire, hull damage, and dangerous containers in the sea
Fishermen and eyewitnesses reported a fire and a severe list to the starboard side. Reuters confirmed reports of serious damage. Initial reports suggested flooding, but later Bulgarian media wrote that the container ship remained afloat and was drifting. There is no confirmation of its final demise, and the results of the hull inspection have not been published.
According to Maritime.bg, more than twenty containers ended up overboard. The warning to mariners mentions flammable gases, non-flammable non-toxic gases, flammable liquids, and other hazardous substances. Floating containers pose a threat to passing ships, and damage to packaging could cause a fire or water pollution. There is no confirmation of a chemical leak yet. It is also unknown how much fuel remains in the tanks of the damaged ship.
Why report 421 containers and 700 TEU
The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport, citing the crew, named 421 containers. The management company reported about 700 TEU. There may be no contradiction here: TEU is a unit of capacity equal to a standard twenty-foot container, while a forty-foot container is counted as two TEU.
CONTSHIP JET was built in 2007, its length is 159.8 meters, width — 24.8 meters, capacity — 1267 TEU. The ship’s international registration number is IMO 9348625.
How the container ship is connected to Israeli ZIM
CONTSHIP JET is registered under the Liberian flag. In ship databases, the owner is listed as Greek Sevilla Maritime, and it is operated by Contships Management from Athens. Israeli ZIM chartered the ship for the Levant – Black Sea Express (LBX) commercial line. This is confirmed by data from Flexport Atlas, ShipsGo, and the carrier’s schedules, where the ship is designated with the code CJ5.
Chartering means that the company organizes cargo voyages on the ship, not necessarily owning it. Therefore, CONTSHIP JET cannot be called Israeli by registration, although its participation in the ZIM transport network is confirmed.
ShipsGo recorded the ship’s cargo operations in Ashdod on October 22 and Haifa on October 24. Over the previous six months, about 67% of the containers in this system’s tracked sample were for ZIM shipments. This figure does not describe the exact cargo composition during the attack: the full voyage manifest has not been published.
Why the Haifa – Constanta route is important for Israel and Ukraine
The LBX line connects Ashdod and Haifa with Turkish ports, Bulgarian Varna, and Romanian Constanta. Such regional shipments are carried out by relatively small container ships delivering cargo between ports and major international routes.
From the Mediterranean Sea, ships pass through the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosphorus. The regime of the straits is regulated by the Montreux Convention of 1936, which establishes different rules for commercial and military ships. NAnews previously explained, whether Turkey can close the Bosphorus and what restrictions apply during wartime. A general closure of the straits for civilian trade has not been announced by Ankara. CONTSHIP JET was attacked after passing through them.
Constanta is an important transport hub for Ukraine. Through the Romanian port, rail, road, and Danube routes, cargo related to Ukrainian foreign trade passes. In June 2026, NAnews reported on supplies of Israeli diesel fuel from Haifa to Ukraine, in which Constanta was used in logistics. However, there is no data on the transportation of fuel or military products on CONTSHIP JET.
October series of attacks on civilian shipping
The attack on October 28 continued a series of incidents near Bulgaria and Romania. On October 5, ROYAD MAMMADOV was sunk in the Romanian exclusive economic zone, on October 6, ALFA WATAN was damaged near Bulgaria, and during the same period — ABLE. On October 13, HS DIGNITY and CHELSEA-3 were attacked, on October 14 — YARA J, on October 15 — WINE TRADER, on October 23 — KHORYV.
On HS DIGNITY, eleven sailors went missing after the attack. On KHORYV, there was one reported dead and three missing. Reuters estimated the possible human losses of previous attacks at about two dozen people, including those missing. This is not a confirmed final death toll.
Why commercial ships find it difficult to defend against sea drones
A sea drone is a small unmanned boat with an engine, navigation, observation equipment, and, in combat versions, explosives. Some devices are controlled at a significant distance via satellite communication. A small target is difficult to detect among the waves, especially at night. Commercial ships usually do not have the protection of military ships.
Ukraine uses such drones against the Russian fleet and military targets. NAnews has already explored, how Ukrainian sea drones attacked Russian ships and changed the situation in the Azov and Black Seas.
But the presence of such weapons in Ukraine does not establish its involvement in attacks on civilian ships. To determine the perpetrator, debris from the devices, observation data, information about routes, launch sites, and control systems are needed.
Who benefits from the attack: the Russian version and Europe’s position
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky already on October 7 blamed Russia for previous attacks. Moscow rejected the accusations, and the Russian ambassador to Bulgaria, Eleonora Mitrofanova, suggested a provocation by a third party. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev noted the possible benefit for Russia while acknowledging the lack of evidence for a definitive establishment of the guilty.
Russia has been at war with Ukraine since 2014, and on February 24, 2022, launched a full-scale invasion. The Russian army has repeatedly struck Ukrainian ports, grain terminals, warehouses, and transport infrastructure.
Continuing attacks on commercial routes can serve Russian interests for several reasons. Insurance costs and transportation costs increase, Ukrainian exports become more complicated, and shipowners are forced to change routes or stop voyages. At the same time, pressure is created on Bulgaria, Romania, and other European partners of Kyiv.
The proximity of attacks to NATO states forces allies to spend resources on surveillance, anti-drone defense, and shipping protection. The uncertainty of the origin of the devices complicates the adoption of retaliatory decisions. However, such a situation can also have reverse consequences for Moscow — strengthening NATO’s military presence.
It cannot yet be claimed that Russia sent three drones against CONTSHIP JET. There is also no evidence that the organizers specifically chose the ship because of ZIM or Israeli cargo. For Ukraine, which depends on Black Sea trade, such attacks also create economic and diplomatic problems. Assumptions about the benefit to any side do not replace an investigation.
What the European Council and European Parliament stated
On October 16, the European Council condemned attacks on commercial ships in the economic zones of Bulgaria and Romania as a violation of international maritime law. On October 20, the head of European diplomacy spoke about the escalation of Russian strikes on shipping.
On October 22, the European Parliament adopted a resolution holding Russia responsible for previous attacks on civilian ships. It was supported by 432 deputies, opposed by 52, and 88 abstained. The document also calls for considering a European naval operation to protect shipping.
The resolution was adopted six days before the attack on CONTSHIP JET. Therefore, it reflects the European assessment of the preceding series of incidents, not the results of the investigation of the October 28 attack.
Bulgaria, Turkey, NATO: why the attack concerns Israel
On the day of the attack, a meeting of the defense ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey — Dimitar Stoyanov, Ștefan-Radu Oprea, and Yaşar Güler — was held in Sofia. They discussed the security of civilian shipping, drone detection, and joint actions in the Black Sea.
The ministers condemned the attacks and agreed to develop trilateral coordination, exchange information, and improve early warning. Güler warned Russia and Ukraine about the inadmissibility of attacks on commercial ships; Ankara also allowed for legal measures. As early as October 16, Bulgaria requested additional combat aircraft and anti-drone systems from NATO. This does not mean that all requested forces have already been deployed.
Why an attack near a NATO country does not automatically mean the alliance enters the war
CONTSHIP JET was outside the 12-mile territorial sea of Bulgaria, in its exclusive economic zone. There, the state has certain rights to resources and economic activities, but the waters themselves are not equated to its sovereign territory.
Therefore, an attack on a foreign container ship in this zone does not automatically trigger NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense. Such a decision requires separate legal and political assessments by allies. Meanwhile, NATO and the EU can enhance patrolling, surveillance, intelligence sharing, and escorting commercial ships.
For Israel, the risk is primarily economic. Foreign trade depends on maritime transport, port schedules, insurance, and delivery costs. NAnews has already explained, how the Black Sea war affects flour and bread prices in Israel. Now an armed attack has directly affected the ZIM container line.
As of October 28, there is no confirmed data on changes in ZIM schedules, tariff increases, or cessation of voyages to Constanta. The recipients of the lost cargo and the extent of the damage to Israeli clients have not been established. The further fate of the container ship depends on the condition of the hull, hazardous cargo, and the possibility of safe towing. The origin of the sea drones that attacked it remains under investigation.