Black Sea shipping attacks and drones in 2026: 570 ships hit, now off Bulgaria

The Black Sea has become the world’s deadliest shipping route in 2026. More than 570 ships have been struck there this year and at least 40 crew members killed, compared with 24 deaths in the Strait of Hormuz, the Financial Times reported on 25 October, citing data from the risk consultancy Ambrey and the International Maritime Organization. Attacks now reach Bulgaria: on 28 October the Contship Jet was hit off Cape Kaliakra. Its 18 crew were taken to Varna.

What is happening in the Black Sea?

Merchant ships are being hit by aerial and sea drones linked to the Russia–Ukraine war. Some estimates quoted by the FT say attacks in the Black Sea are more than six times as frequent as in the Gulf. The head of Ukraine’s seafarers’ union told the paper that sailing to Ukrainian ports now “borders on suicide”.

On 23 October a drone strike sank the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv about 13 miles east of Constanța, Romania. One sailor died and three were missing; Romanian rescuers recovered nine crew alive, The Sofia Globe reported. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it “yet another Russian escalation”.

How close have the attacks come to Varna?

Very close. On 6 October two ships were hit in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone and injured sailors were flown to Varna (see our report on the first attacks). On 13 October the Maltese-flagged Chelsea 3 was struck by three drones about 18 nautical miles (33 km) off Byala, south of Varna; all 15 crew were rescued and taken to Varna. Al Jazeera reported that a second ship, the HS Dignity, sank off Krapets the same day, with 11 crew missing according to Bulgarian officials.

On 20 October Transport Minister Georgi Peev said drone fragments were found aboard the Chelsea 3, which had been towed to Burgas. Bulgarian services are analysing them to establish the drone’s origin; initial checks found no ammunition or radiation on board, Varna Utre reported.

The latest strike came on 28 October: the Liberian-flagged container ship Contship Jet was hit by sea drones about 16–17 nautical miles east of Cape Kaliakra, north-east of Varna. All 18 crew were rescued and brought to Varna, Varna24 and Maritime Executive reported. According to Maritime Executive it was the ninth vessel struck in the western Black Sea since early October, and Reuters counts 34 sailors killed or missing in these attacks. Reports differ on the ship’s fate after the attack; the government’s reaction and the earlier strikes are in our timeline of the drone attacks in Bulgaria’s zone.

What do the government and Varna’s mayor want?

Prime Minister Rumen Radev has called the attacks unacceptable and said there is no clear evidence yet of who carried them out. Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova, hosting her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot at Varna’s Naval Academy on 24 October, called for a moratorium on attacks on merchant ships and pushed a Black Sea security hub in Varna and Constanta (more in France backs a security hub in Varna).

Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev asked Barrot for a substantial increase in capacity to monitor and track drones over the western Black Sea and for support for European anti-drone initiatives. He added that full security will only come when the war in Ukraine ends.

On 22 October the European Parliament also criticised Sofia’s response; the resolution and Radev’s reply are in our report on the drone strikes in Bulgaria’s zone.

Is the coast safe for residents and tourists?

The strikes so far have hit merchant ships far out at sea, not beaches, towns or the port of Varna, and no restrictions for residents or visitors had been announced as of 26 October 2026. Practical tips:

• follow official updates from the government and the Bulgarian Maritime Administration rather than social media rumours;
• if you find suspicious debris on a beach, do not touch it and call 112;
• sailors and boat owners should check navigation warnings before going far offshore.