The naval drones used by Russia pose a real threat to Bulgaria, Romania and other countries with access to the Black Sea. This was stated by the Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk, quoted by the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform. According to him, Russia can use both air and sea drones for attacks in the region.
The warning comes after new attacks on two ships near the Bulgarian coast on the night of October 13. One of the vessels sank. A previous similar case was registered on the night of October 6 in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. Details of the origin of the drones used in the attacks have not yet been publicly confirmed by Bulgarian authorities.
Plettenchuk: All drones against Ukraine have been destroyed
„We have encountered naval drones that we consider a real threat in our waters, and we have dealt with them accordingly, by destroying them. One hundred percent of the naval drones used against Ukraine this year have been destroyed“, said Plettenchuk.
He pointed out that the readiness of states to respond to such attacks should be assessed according to their areas of responsibility. According to him, military operations are accompanied by hybrid actions, including information campaigns.
„The hybrid aspect is in the information campaigns accompanying military operations. "They are trying to distort the events as they please," the Ukrainian Navy spokesman said. He added that he had not seen Russia comment publicly on the attacks in the Black Sea so far.
Bulgaria seeks an explanation from Russia
After the latest strikes, Bulgaria summoned Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova. At the meeting with her, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that it makes no sense for Ukraine to destroy its own ships, and the results of the strikes are in favor of Russia.
Bulgarian authorities have not announced a final conclusion about which party is behind the attacks. The Ukrainian Navy's position is that the incidents should be viewed as part of a broader combination of military and information actions in the Black Sea.
Sources: bta.bg, ukrinform.net