GERB-SDF, “We continue the change“ and “Democratic Bulgaria“ requested the convening of the National Security Advisory Council and additional information from the government and the services after the drone attack against two commercial ships in the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.
The incident occurred at around 3:00 AM about 70 nautical miles east of Byala. One ship, flying the flag of Togo, sank. No survivors were found from its crew. The second vessel, flying the flag of Palau, was engulfed in fire, but its 18-member crew was evacuated. Two sailors were injured, while the remaining 16 were rescued.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev described the attack on civilian ships as “absolutely unacceptable“ and said that the origin of the drones was being clarified. So far, Bulgarian institutions have not officially confirmed which party was behind the attack.
Requests to convene the National Security Advisory Council
Hristo Gadzhev from GERB-SDF said that what happened posed a serious threat to the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone. He insisted that the president convene the National Security Advisory Council and described this as a belated reaction.
“We did not understand how the attack in the Black Sea came about“, Gadzhev said at a briefing in the National Assembly. According to him, the president and the prime minister underestimate the escalation of the war and it is necessary to discuss the defense of the country.
The leader of “We continue the change“ Assen Vassilev also requested the convening of the KSNS. He stated that state institutions and political forces should exchange information and discuss security measures. Vassilev criticized President Iliana Yotova and stated that Bulgaria does not have adequate defense despite the increased army budget.
DB requests a hearing of the services
Ivaylo Mirchev from “Democratic Bulgaria“ described the prime minister's briefing as “scandalous“ due to the lack of a named perpetrator. “We have not heard who the source of the attack is“, he said.
Mirchev claims that the drones are Russian, but this claim has not been officially confirmed. He demanded an urgent KSNS, consultations with NATO and a parliamentary hearing of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense, DANS, military counterintelligence and the State Agency “Intelligence“.
Nikolai Denkov from “We continue the change“ also accused the government of not naming Russia as the perpetrator. According to him, there is no request for close cooperation with NATO and the European Union. The political demands come against the backdrop of the ongoing rescue operation and the clarification of the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Sources: eurocom.bg, dariknews.bg, news.bg