A new operation to tow the attacked vessel “Chelsea-3“ to the port of Burgas is expected to begin when the weather improves. The previous attempt was terminated due to bad weather conditions, announced Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov.
According to him, the vessel is located about 10 km east of Lozenets.
The minister specified that the Bulgarian Army is not an investigative body. The Navy has assisted in the rescue operations and inspection of the vessel.
According to the minister, the experience of the Baltic states can also be applied in the Black Sea region. Bulgaria maintains close cooperation with them and receives political support.
„The most important thing is for us here, in the Black Sea region, together with Romania and Turkey, to develop a unified strategy for action“, he said.
A meeting is expected to be held soon with the defense ministers of Turkey and Romania, as well as with the defense chiefs of the three countries.
Stoyanov noted that the intensity of the strikes in the Black Sea is increasing with each passing day, and yesterday strikes were carried out in the territorial waters of Romania. According to him, this once again shows the need to modernize Bulgaria's armed forces and improve defense capabilities, the defense minister said.
He said that Bulgaria has sent a request to the NATO Secretary General and the Allied Command to strengthen defense capabilities in the region. Our country has requested aviation, anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-drone systems and patrol aviation.
“A decision is still awaited, and it has not been confirmed what support and how it will be provided. The capabilities of the allies are limited, and Romania, as well as the Baltic states, also need additional capabilities,“ said the minister.
While until recently attention was mainly focused on the Baltic region, in the last week the focus has increasingly shifted to the Black Sea, he also emphasized.