00:16A cargo ship chartered by an Israeli shipping giant has been sunk in the Black Sea after
00:22a coordinated attack by three sea drones, and the dramatic footage shows just how close
00:27the unmanned vessels came before striking.
00:31The target was the Khan ship Jet, a Liberian-flagged container ship chartered by Israel's Zinn
00:37Integrated Shipping Services.
00:39The vessel was sailing from Haifa, Israel, towards the Romanian port of Constanza when
00:44it came under attack on Wednesday, October 28.
00:48The strike took place around 17 to 21 nautical miles off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast inside
00:54the country's exclusive economic zone.
00:57According to reports, three unmanned surface vessels, also known as suicide boat drones,
01:03targeted the ship.
01:05Footage shows a small black drone speeding towards the vessel from its starboard side before maneuvering
01:11close to the hull.
01:12The attacks triggered a fire, caused severe damage, and left the ship listing heavily.
01:18Containers were seen falling into the sea as the vessel began losing stability.
01:23Despite efforts to respond to the damage, the Khan ship Jet eventually sunk overnight into
01:29Thursday, October 29, taking all its cargo down with it.
01:34The ship was carrying 421 containers, some reportedly containing lithium-ion batteries, flammable liquids,
01:42gases, and corrosive materials.
01:44But there was one major relief.
01:47All 18 crew members were rescued.
01:4914 Filipino sailors and 4 Ukrainian sailors were evacuated by Bulgarian naval and border
01:56police vessels and taken to Varna for medical checks.
01:59No fatalities were reported.
02:02Zim confirmed that the vessel had been chartered by the company, clarifying that it was not owned
02:07by Zim.
02:07The company said all crew members were safely evacuated and that the preliminary financial
02:12impact was expected to be minimal.
02:15Khan Ship's management also confirmed the attack by three sea drones, but said their origin remained
02:21unknown.
02:22The sinking comes amid a growing series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Western
02:27Black Sea, particularly around Bulgarian and Romanian waters, as the Russia-Ukraine war
02:33continues to threaten maritime security.
02:35Russia has come under suspicion over several incidents in the region, but responsibility
02:40for this particular attack has not been established.
02:44With another commercial vessel now at the bottom of the Black Sea, the incident raises
02:48fresh concerns over the safety of shipping routes and the growing use of unmanned sea drones
02:54operations in the conflict.
