The container ship CONTSHIP JET, hit by three naval drones near Cape Kaliakra, has sunk. The ship was sailing under the Liberian flag to the Romanian port of Constanta, and all 18 crew members were rescued by the Navy.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the strike occurred on October 28, about 17 miles east of Cape Kaliakra. The three hits were observed by the Navy's surveillance system and by a French patrol aircraft. “A total of three hits on the ship were observed“, the military department announced.
Clues point to Russian development
A video shot immediately before the impact shows an unmanned boat with a large outboard engine, a high inclined mast and two bulky deck sections. These features distinguish it from the publicly known configurations of the Ukrainian MAGURA V5 and the British K3 Scout.
The technical comparison suggests that the device is Russian and is close in design to the “Murena-300S“ - a development of the Russian design bureau “Center for Unmanned Systems“. Publicly stated characteristics of this type include a length of 5.7 meters, a width of 1.5 meters and a claimed range of up to 500 kilometers with a payload of up to 500 kilograms.
The most significant visual feature is the engine placed above the aft deck. In the case of the “Murena-300S“ an outboard engine is shown, but the tall mast in the video does not fully match the public exhibition model. Therefore, the analysis does not allow a definitive determination of the model.
Exact origin remains unconfirmed
Naval analyst H. I. Sutton points out a similarity between the outboard engine of the device near Kaliakra and Russian unmanned boats. At the same time, he notes that the visible mast also allows for another configuration. The mere presence of an outboard motor does not prove either a specific model or nationality.
The Institute for the Study of War describes the aircraft involved in the attack as unidentified and assumes a Russian origin. The analysis uses the wording “probably Russian“, without specifying “Murena“ as an established model.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense confirms the attack and the rescue operation, but has not specified the manufacturer or operator of the drones. At this stage, the most accurate description is probably a Russian unmanned attack boat, similar in design to “Murena“, with an undetermined exact model.
Sources: novini.bg, mod.bg, apnews.com