Contship Jet, bound for Constanța from Haifa, sinks off Bulgaria

According to Marine Insight, the ship was sailing from Israel's port of Haifa to Romania's port of Constanța and was hit about 21 nautical miles off Shabla. The Bulgarian Navy's surveillance system and a French maritime patrol aircraft recorded 3 hits; 14 of the crew are Filipino and 4 Ukrainian. Türkiye Today reported that the cargo included lithium-ion batteries and corrosive and flammable liquids, and that the water at the site is 200–700 metres deep. Outgoing Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov said the drones came from the east, while Prime Minister Rumen Radev said there was no solid evidence to prove who was responsible. Türkiye Today says at least 6 ships were attacked off Bulgaria in October; our entry of yesterday, based on a BTA report dated 28 October, put the figure at 5.

Through an insurance lens, the location of the attack is the critical detail. According to Ambrey, the London market's Joint War Committee declared the entire Black Sea a listed area in circular JWLA-035 on 16 September, but excluded the territorial waters of Türkiye, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia. Territorial waters end at 12 nautical miles, so Contship Jet, struck at 21 miles, was inside the listed area; the Haifa–Constanța route has to enter that area after leaving the Turkish Straits. Ambrey says 45 merchant ships were hit outside the old risk area in the 12 months to 21 September, against none in the previous 12 months. Novinite reported on 12 October that war-risk cover for an oil tanker in the Black Sea had risen from 200,000 dollars to 2.5 million dollars in a few months; current premiums for container ships could not be verified.