A large-scale rescue operation is underway in the Black Sea after an incident with commercial ships in the area east of Cape Sveti Atanas and the town of Byala. A Bulgarian-flagged ro-ro/passenger ferry has been diverted to provide assistance to distressed sailors.
Information about the incident remains insufficient and in places contradictory, said Yordan Bozhilov, founder of the Sofia Security Forum and former Deputy Minister of Defense. According to him, one of the versions is that two ships collided and one sank, while another points to a drone attack.
„A drone strike is a direct attack, and the other is an incident“, Bozhilov pointed out.He noted that in recent days, drone attacks against ships transporting grain and other products from Ukrainian ports have been increasing.
The incident is in the economic zone
Former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Milen Keremedchiev specified that the attack did not take place in Bulgaria's territorial waters, but in the country's exclusive economic zone. According to him, there is also a drifting ship in the area, whose crew has abandoned the vessel. It is located near Bulgarian territorial waters, about 40 nautical miles from Shabla.
Keremedchiev warned that the crisis could affect Bulgaria's trade routes and further burden rescue teams and the maritime accident response system. According to him, the risk of such incidents will continue to increase.
Bozhilov said that the main issue is the safety of shipping. He pointed out that in the event of strikes in the exclusive economic zone, Bulgaria has limited capabilities and its main role is to provide assistance.
Call for a joint response in the Black Sea
According to Bozhilov, mechanisms for joint action in such situations should be created and coordination between Bulgaria and Romania should be improved. He believes that the European Union and NATO should be involved in the talks.
“We may ask for additional consultations on what should be done in the Black Sea, because shipping will indeed be affected“, he said.Expert Momchil Doychev defined the attacks as part of Russia's hybrid war aimed at escalating tensions in the Black Sea region. According to him, an incident in the territorial waters of a NATO country would mean the next level of escalation and could provoke a more serious response from the Alliance.
Sources: novini.bg, nova.bg