ZIM Container Ship Sinks in Black Sea After Drone Attack

The container ship Contship Jet, chartered by ZIM Integrated Shipping Services and sailing from Haifa, Israel, to Constanta, Romania, sank in the Black Sea after being struck by three naval drones off the coast of Bulgaria. The vessel, flying a Liberian flag and owned by a Greek entity, was hit on Wednesday afternoon approximately 17 nautical miles east of Cape Kaliakra, within Bulgaria's economic waters. Bulgarian authorities reported the ship was carrying 421 containers. It sustained three holes on its starboard side, began listing and drifting, and sank near midnight. ZIM stated it was a small vessel they chartered, not owned, and that initial estimates suggest minimal financial damage to the company. The company is seeking a replacement vessel to maintain service for its clients.

The ship's crew, comprising 14 Filipino and four Ukrainian nationals, evacuated the vessel about 15 minutes after the first alarm. Eight crew members were rescued by a Bulgarian Navy ship, while the remaining ten awaited rescue in a life raft. Three Bulgarian Navy vessels and a border police ship participated in the rescue operation, and all sailors arrived safely in the port of Varna. A French reconnaissance plane flying over the western Black Sea was the first to detect the drones.

According to Bulgaria's Defense Minister, this marks the fifth drone attack within Bulgarian economic waters this month. The commander of the Bulgarian Navy stated that the origin of the drones remains unclear and that Bulgaria lacked the forces in the area to intercept them in time. The defense ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey, meeting in Sofia, issued a joint statement calling for an immediate cessation of attacks against merchant ships and maritime infrastructure. The attacks raise concerns beyond the immediate region, as Bulgaria and Romania are NATO members.

Environmental authorities in Bulgaria have launched an investigation, with teams collecting seawater samples at five coastal locations. Initial tests have not revealed any visible signs of pollution. Meanwhile, ZIM's stock experienced a nearly 2% decline in early trading on Wall Street. The incident occurs during a sensitive period for ZIM, as a proposed acquisition by Germany's Hapag-Lloyd faces regulatory hurdles in Israel concerning the state's 'golden share'.