From the Liveblog of
Thursday, October 29, 2026
ZIM vessel sinks in Black Sea after being hit by 3 suicide boat drones; no injuries
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A vessel chartered by Israel’s ZIM Integrated Shipping Services sank last night after it was hit by three boat drones off Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast.
The crew aboard the container ship, which departed from Haifa port en route to Constanta in Romania, was rescued and safely evacuated, Zim says.
All 18 crew members, 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians, were rescued by Bulgarian naval and border police vessels and taken to the port city of Varna for medical checks.
Footage posted to social media appears to show one of the suicide boat drones streaking through the water before it begins to turn toward the vessel.
???????????????????????? Видео, заснето от борда на ударения вчера кораб CONTSHIP JET. pic.twitter.com/kQVKDPnNrJ
— DRM Journal (@remilitari) October 29, 2026
Other footage shows the Liberian-flagged ship as it sinks.
אוניית צים שיצאה מישראל הוטבעה בים השחור במתקפת רחפנים | תיעוד בלעדי pic.twitter.com/ZGnvpzoKnA
— TheMarker (@TheMarker) October 29, 2026
The 421 containers carrying high-value cargo were completely lost to the sea. Some of the containers on board were reportedly carrying hazardous materials, such as lithium-ion batteries and flammable liquids.
Bulgarian Navy teams report no signs of pollution after taking samples from several locations in territorial waters.
“In the face of boycotts and security threats — amidst global political instability — it is imperative to ensure that ZIM remains an Israeli company,” says Zim workers union head Oren Caspi. “Much remains unknown regarding this unusual attack, and we are still in the process of gathering the details.”
Earlier this year, German container shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd agreed to acquire Israel’s ZIM for $4.2 billion, but the deal remains subject to government approvals.
The Times of Israel Community.