The government was late with the political reaction on security in the Black Sea and should have immediately pointed to Russia as the main source of instability. This was stated by the MP from GERB-SDF Daniel Mitov, who insisted that Bulgaria coordinate its actions with Romania and Turkey and request consultations under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
Mitov commented on the topic after the series of attacks on merchant ships near the Bulgarian coast. According to him, the cabinet has made the political reaction dependent on the completion of the investigation, although a diplomatic position may be stated even before all the technical details are established.
“The first thing the government should do is name Russia as the main source of instability in the Black Sea, as a threat to shipping“, Mitov said.According to him, the investigation and the search for evidence are necessary, but do not exclude a political risk assessment. Mitov claims that the lack of a categorical position can be perceived as weakness and encourage new provocations in the Bulgarian security space.
New attacks off the Bulgarian coast
On October 13, the merchant ship “Chelsea 3“, flying under the Maltese flag and registered in Odessa, was attacked 18 nautical miles east of Byala. According to the crew, the ship was hit by three aerial drones on the deck and side. The Marine Rescue Center in Varna rescued the entire crew of seven Ukrainian and eight Azerbaijani citizens, with five of them receiving medical assistance.
On the same day, the Council of Ministers reported another ship hit 17 miles east of Krapets, which sank. One crew member was rescued. The government said that there was not enough clear evidence to accuse a specific country, but indicated that the result of the attacks was in favor of Russia.
What Mitov proposes
The MP insists that Bulgaria request consultations under Article 4 of NATO together with Romania and Turkey. He stressed that this procedure does not automatically trigger Article 5, but rather allows allies to discuss the threat, exchange intelligence and consider measures to protect shipping.
“When you do not name the aggressor clearly, this is perceived as weakness and from there it opens up even more opportunities for the aggressor to enter more and more into your own space“, Mitov said.
On October 14, the National Assembly heard Prime Minister Rumen Radev, ministers and heads of services about the attacks on ships. The leaders said that the investigation is ongoing and the level of security has been increased. The Prime Minister indicated that Bulgaria is seeking international support both to identify the perpetrators and to strengthen surveillance and response capabilities.
Sources: nova.bg, euronews.bg, bntnews.bg