Bulgaria cannot guarantee the security of shipping in the Black Sea alone, but it can do so together with its NATO allies. This was stated by former defense minister Todor Tagarev, commenting on the attacks on two merchant ships in the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone.
“It is almost impossible to find an independent solution“, Tagarev told Bulgaria ON AIR. According to him, the country has limited its own capabilities for monitoring and countering air and sea drones and must use NATO's common systems for monitoring and exchanging information.
Two ships were attacked near Byala
The incident occurred about 70 nautical miles east of Byala. According to the Council of Ministers, the two merchant ships were attacked with air and sea drones. One, which was sailing under the Togolese flag, sank, and the second was damaged and a fire broke out on board. Its crew was evacuated, and two injured sailors were transported to Varna by a Navy vessel.
It has not yet been officially confirmed who is behind the attack. Tagarev said that there are sufficient indications of the source and that the routes, cargo and final destinations of the ships can help clarify what happened. However, the Bulgarian authorities have not announced a conclusion about the origin of the drones.
Call for anti-drone protection
Tagarev described the strikes as a targeted, coordinated and well-planned attack. He said that after the meeting of the National Security Advisory Council, he did not see a clear concept for Bulgaria and its allies to build joint anti-drone systems.
As a possible basis for broader actions, he pointed to the joint mine action group of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. According to him, it could receive additional tasks related to countering drones and protecting critical infrastructure. Tagarev also stressed the need to use the experience gained in Ukraine when choosing specific protection systems.
The government described the attack on the two ships as unacceptable and a violation of international law. The rescue operation after the incident was led by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Varna with the participation of the Navy, the Air Force, the “Border Police“ and the Maritime Administration.
Sources: dnes.bg, bgonair.bg, euronews.bg