The attacks on ships in the Black Sea are not only a matter of establishing the origin of the drones used, but also a political issue for Bulgaria's position. This was stated by former Minister of Defense Boyko Noev in the program “Face to Face“ on bTV.
The conversation discussed attacks on four ships in the Black Sea. According to the information presented in the program, two of them sank, and dozens of sailors are missing. Noev stated that the Bulgarian authorities do not take a sufficiently clear position on the origin of the drones.
“According to him, some of the representatives of the authorities probably have their own reasons for not indicating responsibility, but he does not share this approach. According to him, the topic should be considered in the broader political context of Russia's war against Ukraine, which began in 2014.
Noev believes that the lack of clear messages from the government and the president deepens public tension and uncertainty. According to him, if the authorities had taken a clear position from the beginning regarding the aggressor and the reasons for what is happening in the Black Sea, the issue of the origin of the drones would have been viewed primarily as technical.
The former Minister of Defense also placed what is happening in the context of Bulgaria's relations with the European Union and NATO. According to him, the attacks raise the fundamental question of which allies the country belongs to and what its international orientation is.
Noev said that Bulgarian society has long made its choice in favor of European affiliation. He linked this choice not only to Bulgaria's membership in European and Euro-Atlantic organizations, but also to work, cultural ties and the daily lives of citizens.
Among the topics of the conversation were the arson of antennas serving the satellite communication system “Starlink“. Noev described the service as globally significant, as it is used not only in Ukraine, but also in many other parts of the world.
According to him, the possible restriction of communications would have serious political consequences, especially in the war in Ukraine. He described US President Donald Trump's policy towards Kiev as “commercial” and stated that decisions to suspend aid or restrict communications directly affect the lives of people and the security of Ukraine.
Noev pointed out that if there are detainees for the arson, the competent authorities should officially report the information after completing their work. In his words, the successful detection of such cases would be an example of the result of decisive action.