Earlier this week, Bulgarian government officials called for the immediate intensification of monitoring and information sharing in the Black Sea region, particularly from Romania and Turkey, along with NATO structures, after two vessels were hit on Monday, October 12.
In this context, Romanian interim defense minister Radu Miruță talked with Bulgarian counterpart Dimitar Stoyanov and Turkish defense minister Yaşar Güler. The three ministers assessed the severely deteriorated security environment and discussed joint measures to protect maritime corridors.
At the end of the talks, the three ministers confirmed their firm commitment to coordinated action. Cooperation in the Black Sea basin remains a key priority, with direct operational-level contacts between the relevant ministries in Sofia, Bucharest, and Ankara set to continue in the coming days.
“The situation in the Black Sea is becoming increasingly complicated and requires us, as allies, to take enhanced and coordinated measures. Ensuring security and freedom of navigation in the region is a shared interest and our shared responsibility. Only through effective information sharing, increased surveillance, and close coordination can we respond to growing risks and protect security in the Black Sea,” Stoyanov stressed, according to the press center of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense.
Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey are coordinating specific measures for closer monitoring of the sea’s waters. The initiative provides for direct channels for operational information between the military structures of the three countries, as well as full compatibility with the Alliance’s intelligence mechanisms.
The new efforts will focus on preventing further incidents, safeguarding commercial routes, and preventing escalation in the waters directly bordering the territories of the three allied countries.
On Tuesday, October 13, Romanian interim prime minister Ilie Bolojan also held a telephone conversation with Bulgarian PM Rumen Radev regarding the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea and the attacks on commercial vessels.
The Romanian prime minister strongly condemned the attacks on commercial vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, stressing that such actions against civilian shipping are unacceptable and constitute serious violations of maritime law and international law.
The two officials discussed strengthening coordination between Romania and Bulgaria, including through cooperation with Turkey, to reinforce regional security, including maritime security, according to the government press release.
On October 5, the Turkish vessel Royad Mammadov was hit by drones near Romania’s economic exclusion zone. Two crew members died, and another 11 were injured, making it the most serious incident recorded near the Romanian coast since the beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Subsequently, the vessel CHELSEA 3, sailing under the Maltese flag and with Ukrainian owners, was hit by three aerial drones approximately 18 nautical miles east of Byala, in Bulgarian territorial waters. All 15 crew members were evacuated, and six sailors were injured in the incident. Another vessel was attacked approximately 17 nautical miles east of Krapets and sank.