The attack on two merchant ships in the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone is a Russian combined attack with sea and air drones. This was stated by GERB MP and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev in an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio.
„What transport connectivity will there be in what happened in the Black Sea, given that we refused to name the cause?“, Georgiev asked. According to him, Bulgaria and its partners have not publicly named the perpetrator of the attack, although the incident affects security and shipping in the region.
On October 6, two merchant ships were attacked with air and sea drones about 70 nautical miles east of Byala. One vessel, which is under the flag of Togo, sank, and according to initial information from the Bulgarian authorities, there is no information about any survivors of the crew. The second ship was damaged and a fire broke out on board. The crew was evacuated, and two injured sailors were transported to Varna.
Bulgarian authorities announced that the origin of the drones is under investigation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia and said that the attack was carried out with sea and air drones. Russian authorities did not immediately comment on the accusation.
Black Sea as a trade route
Georgiev linked the incident to Bulgaria's economic interests. He pointed out that the country is the fourth largest exporter of grain to Egypt, and the route of this export passes through the Black Sea.
According to the MP, the security of the maritime region is important for the northern and southern flanks of NATO. He criticized the government for simultaneously defining transport connectivity and transforming Bulgaria into a trade hub as a priority, but did not name the reason for the attack on the ships.
“The EU and NATO are the places where we can impose policy“, said Georgiev. He added that Bulgaria loses international authority and part of its security when it does not clearly defend its own interests.
Proposal for a lower excise tax on fuels
In the interview, Georg Georgiev also commented on fuel prices. According to him, Bulgaria may request a derogation from the European Commission for a phased reduction in the excise tax. He expects the measure to have an effect of up to 40 cents per liter.
According to him, such a decision would make things easier for businesses and consumers, since diesel is part of all supply chains.
Sources: bnrnews.bg, apnews.com