Three sea drones strike a container ship off NATO member Bulgaria WHILE defence ministers meet on Black Sea security

Three maritime drones struck the Liberian-flagged container ship Contship Jet in the Black Sea on Wednesday afternoon, forcing the crew to abandon ship on life rafts near Cape Kaliakra off Bulgaria's northeastern coast. The attack came with no casualties reported, though a UK shipping company warned a third drone was still incoming as crew were told to flee. Bulgaria's Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov confirmed the strike, saying it occurred at 12:46 p.m. about 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla, while the vessel was reportedly sinking.

The Contship Jet had departed Israel's Haifa port and was heading for Constanta in Romania when it was hit.

Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey agreed at their Sofia summit to establish a trilateral coordination mechanism for Black Sea security — hours after the attack.

Russia has not claimed responsibility, but Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev told parliament earlier this month: 'The logic points in that direction.'