We are in continuous coordination with NATO bodies with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense. This was stated to the Bulgarian National Radio by the Chief of Defense Adm. Emil Eftimov, who is resigning with 3 months' notice, about the drone attacks on ships in the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, specifying:
"The issue has been raised and this is on the agenda in the Alliance. ... Today there was also a statement by Ursula von der Leyen regarding the EU's reaction and the attention being paid to the Black Sea. In any case, measures will be discussed and there will be collective actions".
The follow-up actions will be discussed at the KSNS under the president tomorrow, he added:
"But for us, it remains logical to strengthen surveillance, readiness for reaction and increase the tension of the personnel".
When asked about what one of the rescued crew members of the second ship that was hit, who is a Turkish citizen, told journalists that the ship was hit by a "Russian underwater bomb", since they were transporting cargo to Ukraine and therefore assumed that the strike came from the Russian side, Adm. Eftimov said:
"If we have some physical evidence, we can reach specific conclusions".
He stressed that the origin of the drones can be identified if there are any remains of them.
In his words, the Bulgarian ship "Dioscuria" "not only saved 18 people, but also provided very valuable information about the situation".