The European Commission has warned of growing dangers to maritime security in the Black Sea as attacks on commercial ships intensify. A spokesperson for the EU executive said the incidents affect the interests of the European Union and the international community, endanger lives and can disrupt global supply chains.
The Commission representative linked the attacks to the war launched by Russia against Ukraine and said safe navigation in the region is essential for international trade and food supply. The EU supports keeping the Black Sea safe and accessible both for Ukraine and for member states. At Thursday’s daily press conference, the official said threats in the region go beyond maritime security and can affect critical infrastructure and international economic stability.
The Commission said it is ready to work with the authorities in Romania and Bulgaria to strengthen security in the Black Sea. Cooperation could include developing the regional maritime security hub as part of the EU’s strategic approach. For Romania, bringing that centre into operation quickly is a priority, as the intensification of attacks on commercial shipping increases risks to navigation and to maritime infrastructure in the region.
The container ship Contship Jet, struck on Wednesday by three surface drones in the Black Sea near the Bulgarian coast, sank on Thursday morning. Bulgarian authorities said all 18 crew members were evacuated and none was injured. The Greek-owned vessel was sailing from the Israeli port of Haifa to Constanța with 421 containers. The attack took place around noon on Wednesday, about 17 nautical miles from Cape Kaliakra in north-eastern Bulgaria. After the crew left, the ship drifted south and sank about 36 nautical miles from Varna, according to the Bulgarian authorities.
The 18 sailors, 14 of them Filipino and four Ukrainian, were taken aboard a Bulgarian military ship and brought to Varna. Kiril Mihailov, commander of the Bulgarian naval forces, said the safe evacuation was also made possible by an alert from a French Atlantique 2 reconnaissance aircraft, which had detected the drones during a patrol in the western Black Sea.
Authorities said Contship Jet was the fifth commercial ship attacked by drones off the Bulgarian coast since the beginning of October. Four of the five ships sank, and 21 sailors are still missing. The succession of incidents highlights growing risks for commercial crews and for shipping through an area important to regional and international trade.