The Head of the Bulgarian Army explains why he did not strike the drones that attacked the Contship Jet: “Yesterday’s drones came from the sea, from the east”

The Chief of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, Admiral Emil Eftimov, stated that the maritime drones that struck the Contship Jet in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone came from the east. The attack took place on Wednesday, approximately 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla, near Cape Kaliakra, and the vessel sank the following night.

Eftimov specified that the Bulgarian military had information about a possible attack and had taken precautionary measures, including strengthening surveillance and air defense. However, Bulgarian forces did not intervene because the drones did not enter the country’s territorial waters. According to the admiral, international law does not allow them to act outside those waters, while bad weather made it more difficult to use interception means.

The admiral did not attribute the attack to Russia or any other country. He rejected criticism of Bulgaria’s response and emphasized that the measures adopted do not represent an escalation.

The vessel, flying the Liberian flag and en route from Haifa to Constanța, was struck by three maritime drones. The fire and serious damage led to the evacuation of the 18 crew members, all of whom were rescued. Contship Jet is the fifth vessel attacked in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone.