“Russia is mocking us in every possible way“ – this is how Ivaylo Mirchev commented on the new attack on a merchant ship off the Bulgarian coast. According to him, this will not stop, “because whenever someone lowers himself, does not show character and does not defend his national interest, this happens“.
His statement was made after the attack on the CONTSHIP JET container ship in the Black Sea. The Liberian-flagged ship was hit by three naval drones about 16 nautical miles from Cape Kaliakra while traveling from Haifa to Constanta, Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced. The crew evacuated on life rafts.
According to initial data, there is no information about casualties. The damage to the ship has not been reported. There is no official confirmation of who is behind the attack.
Mirchev demanded a response from Moscow
According to Mirchev, the attack shows a demonstrative attitude towards Bulgaria. He insisted that Russia bear responsibility for the attacks on merchant ships in the region and defined sending a diplomatic note to Moscow as the first necessary step.
“This obviously will not stop if the state does not show character and does not defend its national interest“, said the MP from “Democratic Bulgaria“. He also called for action with Bulgaria's allies.
The attack coincided with a trilateral meeting
The strike on the CONTSHIP JET was carried out on the day the defense ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey met in Sofia. The talks were dedicated to security in the Black Sea.
This is another incident with a commercial vessel near the Bulgarian coast. On October 6, two ships were attacked with drones in the area off Bulgaria. After a meeting of the National Security Advisory Council, Mirchev said that “Democratic Bulgaria“ had insisted on a note to Russia and guarantees that such attacks would not be repeated in the country's exclusive economic zone.
So far, the confirmed data is about an attacked ship, an evacuated crew and the absence of an officially named perpetrator. The claim of Russian responsibility is Ivaylo Mirchev's position, and not a fact established by the competent institutions.
Sources: infomreja.bg, bnrnews.bg, vesti.bg