Zim Confirms Loss of Containership Attacked in Black Sea off Bulgaria

Officials in Bulgaria reported the Greek-owned containership Contship Jet, which was operating under charter to Zim, sank around midnight on October 29, approximately 12 hours after the ship was attacked. It is at least the fifth commercial ship attacked in Bulgaria’s EEZ in recent weeks, with military officials addressing the growing concerns for maritime safety.

Zim issued a brief statement confirming the charter and saying the owner, Contship Management, had informed it that the crew was rescued and is now in Bulgaria. The company referred to the vessel as a “small containership carrying a limited number of containers” and said the expected financial damage is minimal. It said it was aware of several similar attacks on ships in the area and that it was working to secure a replacement vessel and maintain service to its customers.

Bulgaria sent teams to the site when the ship went down, approximately 17 nautical miles east of Varna. It said there were no immediate signs of pollution from the ship.

The Contship Jet (18,000 dwt) went down with 421 containers onboard after it was struck by three sea drones. The ship had a capacity for up to 1,267 TEU. The reports said the manifest reflected that the ship had been transporting lithium-ion batteries, corrosive liquids, acids, and other industrial components.

This story was originally published by The Maritime Executive. Read the full story at The Maritime Executive →