There is a breach in Bulgaria's security after the attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. This was stated by former Interior Minister and former Chairman of the National Security Agency Tsvetlin Yovchev to bTV.
According to him, the situational logic points to Russia as the likely author of the drone attack. However, Yovchev pointed out that subsequent examinations may not find any remains that would allow the identification of the drone.
“There is a breach in Bulgaria's security“, said Yovchev, emphasizing that the incident should not be considered in isolation. According to him, in recent years, cases of airspace violations, explosions, arsons, cyberattacks and incidents with drones have increased. He described this series as part of a broader pressure through hybrid attacks.
The former interior minister believes that Bulgaria should have taken a firmer diplomatic step and summoned the Russian ambassador, Eleonora Mitrofanova. According to him, the government is not doing so because of domestic political considerations and fears of alienating voters who sympathize with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Yovchev said that he does not see a direct military threat to Bulgaria at the moment, but warned: “The Black Sea is now the next Strait of Hormuz“.
No drone remains found
On October 6, two merchant ships were hit in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone. During the subsequent inspection of the ship “Able“, the military found that the vessel was burned and its cargo was wheat. The inspection on board lasted 30 minutes.
No debris from the drone was found. “Able“ is in stable condition, and there is no spill detected around it. The origin of the drone remains unknown, as there is no concrete evidence of its country of origin.
Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said that Russia and Ukraine deny that their drones hit the ships. According to him, it is not correct to accuse one of the parties until there is evidence.
Stoyanov also pointed out that anti-drone systems are not a panacea. According to him, the development of drones is outpacing technological countermeasures, which complicates the protection of maritime spaces.
Sources: news.bg, euronews.bg