Black Sea security threats
NATO and EU concerns after two cargo ships attacked near Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast
Roxana Vasile, 14.10.2026, 14:00
Two commercial vessels were hit by drones in separate incidents overnight on Monday into Tuesday near Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, and one of them sank. The attacks have raised concerns not only in Sofia but also in Bucharest, as well as within NATO and the European Union. Messages condemning the attacks came from both NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who described the incidents as “a new front in the escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine”.
How is the situation viewed in Bucharest? Retired naval commander Sandu Valentin Mateiu explains: “When you have such a high concentration of incidents, a deliberate hybrid attack is very easy to expose. The fact that we are now facing an entire Russian hybrid war against Europe shows that this possibility is very close to becoming reality. If the Kremlin comes to believe that there would be a political impact, ultimately as a test of NATO, such a decision could be made. What is worrying is that the two vessels hit in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone are ships that have called at Romanian ports and subsequently left them.”
Romanian interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan held a telephone conversation with his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev, to discuss the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea. The two also discussed strengthening coordination between Romania and Bulgaria, including through cooperation with Turkey, to bolster regional security and ensure the safe passage of maritime traffic.
During the conversation, the Romanian prime minister strongly condemned the attacks on commercial vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, stressing that such actions against civilian shipping were unacceptable and constituted serious violations of maritime law and international law. The attacks are consequences of the war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine, according to a statement issued by the Romanian government.
Meanwhile, the Bulgarian government’s press service, quoted by the Agerpres news agency, said Prime Minister Rumen Radev had referred to support from the European Union and NATO in establishing the circumstances surrounding the attacks, as well as in improving surveillance and monitoring capabilities in the airspace and maritime waters. The support had been expressed during telephone conversations the Bulgarian prime minister had held earlier with the president of the European Commission and the NATO secretary general. “We have already strengthened our posture on the eastern flank and will continue to monitor the security situation, adjusting our deterrence and defence posture as necessary,” Mark Rutte wrote on the social media platform X.
The two attacks overnight on Monday into Tuesday are already part of a longer series of incidents: in recent months, commercial vessels have been hit in the Black Sea both in Bulgarian and Romanian territorial waters. (EE)
