Bulgaria has shown that it has the capabilities for quick and timely action in the event of attacks in the Black Sea. This was stated by Prime Minister Rumen Radev during his hearing in the National Assembly after the new drone strikes on ships.
Radev thanked the rescue teams from the Air Force, the “Border Police“, the Sea Rescue Center in Varna and the “Maritime Administration“. According to him, the operations to rescue the sailors were carried out in strong waves, reduced visibility, low cloud cover and precipitation.
“We did everything possible to have a thorough investigation“, said Rumen Radev.The inspection of “Able“ did not establish the origin of the strikes
The Prime Minister announced that an attempt was made to inspect the ship “Able“. Divers were lowered on board and spent more than 30 minutes there. The operation was risky due to the serious damage and the flooded engine room.
The inspection did not find any fragments of drones that would allow definitively establishing the causes of the strikes. Therefore, Radev insisted on a full investigation that would clarify both the origin of the drones and the country from which the attacks came.
Bulgaria seeks support from NATO and partners
According to the Prime Minister, Bulgaria has asked its NATO allies to strengthen surveillance and control systems, as well as additional capabilities to respond to drone attacks.
After the first strikes on October 6, Radev sent letters to the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, as well as to the NATO Secretary General. They requested assistance in the investigation, monitoring and response to similar cases.
The Prime Minister spoke with his Romanian counterpart and the Turkish side to develop a joint initiative to guarantee freedom of navigation and safety of shipping in the Black Sea.
Deep-sea assets expected for the investigation
Bulgaria expects to receive additional funds for the investigation, including deep-sea technologies for studying the remains of the two sunken ships.
Regarding the ship “Chelsea“ Radev announced that the plan is for it to be towed by the end of the week, if weather conditions and the state of the sea allow.
The Prime Minister also said that he had invited the Russian ambassador for a conversation. According to him, the diplomat assured that the Russian Ministry of Defense does not have information about Russian attacks at sea. Radev emphasized that the investigation should determine whether this statement is true.
Sources: nova.bg, bta.bg