Key facts
- A container ship was hit by three naval drones off Bulgaria's coast.
- The vessel was sailing under the Liberian flag from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania.
- The crew of the damaged ship has been evacuated.
A container ship was struck by three naval drones off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast on Wednesday, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said. The vessel, sailing under the Liberian flag from Israel's port of Haifa to Constanța in Romania, was damaged and its crew evacuated. The incident occurred in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, approximately 21 miles southeast of Shabla. Bulgaria's national radio reported that a tanker was sent to assist the damaged ship. Ukraine has blamed Russia for such attacks, while Moscow has denied involvement. These strikes have raised concerns about the growing scope of the Russia-Ukraine war and prompted Bulgaria to seek allied assistance for maritime security.