The freighter Contship Jet, which was sailing from Haifa to Romania on behalf of the Israeli shipping company ZIM, has sunk after an attack involving three naval drones off the Bulgarian coast. While all 18 crew members were rescued, the chairman of ZIM’s workers’ committee, Oren Caspi, is calling for control of the company to remain in Israeli hands, citing growing security risks and boycott calls.
Freighter attacked en route from Haifa
The Contship Jet was transporting 421 containers from the port of Haifa to the Romanian port of Constanța when it was struck on Wednesday in the Black Sea by three unmanned surface vehicles. The vessel, sailing under a Liberian flag, was severely damaged and subsequently sank in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, outside Bulgarian territorial waters.
The 18 crew members – 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians – were rescued by Bulgarian emergency forces and brought to the port city of Varna. The cargo sank with the ship. According to initial reports, the goods being transported included lithium-ion batteries, corrosive liquids, acids, and industrial components. During initial inspections, Bulgarian emergency forces found no visible signs of marine pollution.
The Israeli connection to the incident lies primarily in ZIM’s role. The company confirmed that it had chartered the vessel but did not own it. ZIM stated that the financial damage was expected to be minimal based on a preliminary assessment. At the same time, the shipping company is working to arrange a replacement vessel in order to maintain service for its customers.
Who is behind the attack has not yet been determined. The findings so far do not suggest that the ship was specifically targeted because of its connection to Israel. However, the incident occurs during a period in which merchant shipping in the Black Sea is increasingly affected by the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
ZIM workers’ representative: “We must keep ZIM Israeli”
Oren Caspi sees the attack as a further reason why control of the shipping company must remain in Israeli hands. “In a reality of boycotts and security threats, in a world of political instability, we must keep ZIM Israeli,” Caspi stated.
At the same time, he emphasized that many questions about the unusual attack remain unanswered and that those responsible at ZIM are continuing to try to clarify the details. His statement places the incident in a broader context: for employees, it is not solely about the loss of a chartered vessel, but also about the strategic importance of an Israeli shipping company in a time of growing geopolitical risks.
ZIM is one of the most well-known Israeli companies with international significance. The shipping line connects Israel to numerous markets and ports through regular shipping routes. Attacks on vessels, boycott calls, and political tensions therefore also raise the question of how Israel can secure its economic connections and maritime supply in the long term.
The incident also comes during a period in which the future ownership structure of ZIM is under discussion. A takeover agreement with the German shipping conglomerate Hapag-Lloyd, valued at approximately 4.2 billion US dollars, was agreed upon earlier this year and remains subject to regulatory approvals. Against this backdrop, Caspi’s demand that ZIM must remain Israeli takes on additional significance.
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates
