Merchant ship attacked off the coast of Bulgaria was the ninth civilian vessel to be struck near NATO coasts this month

A container ship named Contship Jet, owned by Greek company Sevilla Maritime Co. and sailing under the Liberian flag, was attacked by naval drones off the coast of Bulgaria on October 28, according to Reuters and the country's Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov. The incident occurred 21 miles southeast of Shabla in the Black Sea, where the ship was en route to Romania's Constanta port from the Israeli port of Haifa.

The vessel was in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone at the time of the attack, and its crew had already been evacuated. Starboard Maritime Intelligence data revealed that this is the ninth civilian ship to be targeted near NATO coasts during the month. In response to the increasing attacks, Romania suggested that NATO's Black Sea countries establish a joint command to safeguard against drones.

NATO has committed to strengthening its maritime patrol capabilities in the region. However, military analyst David Sharp suggested that deploying a large grouping of ships and aircraft to actively hunt and destroy emerging threats is necessary for effective protection of civilian ships. Sharp emphasized that while NATO possesses the technical means to counter advanced naval drones, the absence of a political decision stems from member states' fear of escalation with Russia.