Unknown Russian USV Attacks Container Ship That Sinks in Bulgarian Waters

An unknown Russian naval drone was recorded attacking the CONTSHIP JET container ship in the Black Sea, which later sank off the Bulgarian coast.

Bulgarian outlet Maritime.bg published the video, while Reuters reported the preliminary identification of the vessel.

The footage, filmed from aboard the vessel, shows a USV approaching at high speed, moving alongside the container ship’s starboard side before turning towards its hull.

According to analysts at Ambrey Analytics, the vehicle is approximately 5–6 metres long and has a matte black hull. Its manoeuvring pattern may indicate that it is remotely controlled.

Experts believe the naval drone may be a modified version of the Russian Murena-300S vehicle or its derivative.

The Murena-300S is designed for reconnaissance, patrol and mine-laying missions. It can also be used as a kamikaze boat or an FPV drone carrier. Its stated operational range is up to 500 km.

The attack on the CONTSHIP JET took place on October 28 in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, near Cape Kaliakra. The Liberian-flagged vessel was sailing from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania, when it was attacked by three naval drones.

The container ship sustained significant hull damage in the attack and sank off the Bulgarian coast. There were 18 crew members on board: 14 Filipino nationals and four Ukrainians. All crew members were rescued and taken to the port of Varna.

The vessel was carrying 421 containers, including those containing lithium-ion batteries, acids and industrial components.

According to Commander of the Bulgarian Navy, Kiril Mihaylov, the military received a warning about the threat of naval drones from a French patrol aircraft but was unable to prevent the attack.

In total, at least six civilian vessels were attacked by USVs off the Bulgarian coast in October.

Militarnyi previously reported on the specifications of Russian drones disclosed by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, including the Skanda reconnaissance USV, the Murena-300S and other strike platforms.