A Greek-owned container ship, the Contship Jet, operated by ZIM Integrated Shipping Services (NYSE: ZIM), which was sailing from Haifa, was attacked yesterday by at least three unmanned drone-vessels and subsequently sunk in the Black Sea. The crew was rescued unharmed, while the 421 containers on board went down with the vessel.
The attack reflects a growing trend over the past few months: the spillover of the Russia-Ukraine conflict into neighboring countries, in both sea and land. Several such incidents have already taken place, affecting Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey.
Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov reported that the rescue operation was carried out by local naval forces, assisted by a French maritime patrol aircraft operating in the area. Earlier this month, France announced the deployment of an Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft to Romania.
The incident took place yesterday at midday local time, just 17 nautical miles off the coast of Varna, Bulgaria. The Contship Jet has a capacity of 1,276 containers and operates on ZIM’s Levant - Black Sea route. Generally, commercial shipping lines follow a fixed route, calling at various ports in rotation. The same route serves Ashdod, Haifa, Romania, Bulgaria, and Egypt.
ZIM said, "A small container ship, chartered by ZIM but not owned by the company, was hit by a drone in the Black Sea. All crew members were safely evacuated, and initial estimates suggest the financial damage is minimal. The company is working to secure a replacement vessel to ensure continued service to its customers. To our knowledge, several similar incidents involving ships have occurred in the region over the past month."
ZIM Workers' Committee chairman Oren Caspi said, "In a reality marked by boycotts and security threats, amid global political instability, it is imperative that ZIM remains an Israeli company. Much remains unknown regarding this unusual attack, and we are still in the process of gathering the details."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 29, 2026.
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