Several commercial vessels have been targeted in recent days off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, prompting both Bucharest and Sofia to blame Russia for the assaults.
Bulgaria’s Defense Minister, Dimitar Stoianov, announced on Friday that the country has officially requested NATO to deploy fighter jets and anti-drone systems to bolster its defenses against a series of attacks on maritime trade in the Black Sea region. “We have sent letters and a request to the NATO Secretary General and the Supreme Allied Commander, urging them to strengthen our capabilities, which means deploying additional forces on our territory. We await their decision,” Stoianov stated, as reported by Reuters.
Stoianov also mentioned plans to meet soon with his Romanian and Turkish counterparts to discuss coordinated actions and a joint strategy regarding the situation in the Black Sea.
This Wednesday, Romania proposed establishing a joint military command for NATO countries in the Black Sea area to combat drone threats, an initiative that Bucharest and Sofia plan to jointly present to NATO leadership. The proposed command structure would be led by the participating countries on a rotational basis.
NATO’s Response
NATO has not responded immediately to requests for comments, according to Reuters. However, on Thursday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev to discuss the issue.
Rutte emphasized, “NATO has strengthened its position along the eastern flank, including by enhancing drone combat capabilities. NATO will continue to work closely with our allies in the Black Sea, adapting its deterrence and defense posture as needed.”
Following the meeting, Nicușor Dan highlighted the need for “equipment for a new type of challenge” regarding the incidents in the Black Sea. He remarked, “Clearly, these are attempts by Russia, not just in Romania but also in Bulgaria, to destabilize societies and decrease support for Ukraine, and our response is – continue to support Ukraine. That is our response. All details will follow as investigations progress.”
Recent Attacks
Two vessels were struck by drones and caught fire off the Romanian coast of the Black Sea within Romanian territorial waters on Wednesday and Thursday. On Tuesday, a commercial ship sank off the Bulgarian coast after a drone attack, prompting Sofia to summon the Russian ambassador.
These attacks underscore the growing threat posed by drone warfare linked to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which endangers commercial navigation near NATO’s southeastern flank, leading Bulgaria to insist on strengthening the alliance’s defenses in the Black Sea.
Nicușor Dan on Drone Attacks
On Friday, Nicușor Dan stated he cannot technically assert that the drones targeting ships in the Black Sea are Russian, but acknowledged that the attacks occurred in a corridor used by Ukrainians to transport goods. He explained in an interview with Bloomberg, “At this moment, we cannot technically say they are Russian. We have had hundreds of aerial drones enter Romanian territory, and we can say that many of them are Russian. We have pieces from them containing Russian components. Drones that, during the war, were diverted to Romanian territory.”
Furthermore, Dan noted that “the drone that came over water attacks a naval corridor used by Ukrainians to transport goods to the Bosporus and other parts of the world. It is a corridor used by Ukrainians, and there is no reason for it to be attacked by anyone else.”
