The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, announced on Tuesday, October 20, that it decided to send “additional resources” to the Black Sea following Russian drone attacks on commercial vessels in the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria.
The announcement came after NATO's main decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, discussed security in the Black Sea at the alliance's Brussels headquarters the same day.
The meeting followed talks between NATO secretary general Mark Rutte and Romanian president Nicușor Dan and Bulgarian prime minister Rumen Radev on the sidelines of the European Council. Both leaders called for the recent incidents in the Black Sea to be addressed at the Alliance level.
https://x.com/NATOpress/status/2112564287776469370
Although the information was provided by a spokesperson who did not specify what type of additional assets would be sent, Bulgarian prime minister Rumen Radev said that an American reconnaissance aircraft was already patrolling the Black Sea for the “reconnaissance and identification of potential risks.”
Soon after, a military analysis website cited by Biziday identified a Boeing P-8 Poseidon from a base in Sicily that carried out a low-altitude search mission off the Bulgarian coast before landing in Varna. This type of aircraft is specialized in naval surveillance and even anti-submarine warfare.
Romanian president Nicușor Dan confirmed the military deployment in a post on Facebook, noting that NATO was taking “concrete measures to strengthen security and protect navigation, trade, and energy infrastructure.”
“Romania sent a direct message that we expect stronger support through additional counter-drone, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities and expertise, as well as an adapted and strengthened NATO posture in the region. These are essential for protecting lives, global trade, and critical infrastructure, as well as for keeping the Black Sea safe and open,” the official said.
Dan reminded that on October 17, two Romanian Air Force F-16 aircraft engaged and shot down two drones that had illegally entered national airspace.
Both the Bulgarian and Romanian coasts have been the scene of aerial drone attacks on commercial vessels in recent weeks, and Romanian F-16 aircraft even shot down two Russian attack drones, possibly before they could hit other vessels.
In addition to aircraft, drones, and radar systems, NATO members have sent or will send intelligence agents and teams to conduct forensic analysis of explosives, said US Army Colonel Martin Martin L. O'Donnell, a NATO military spokesperson, cited by Reuters.
Last week, seven sailors were reported missing after drones struck two chemical tankers near Romania's Black Sea coast, setting them ablaze and raising fresh security concerns along a vital shipping route used by Ukraine.
At least five other cargo vessels were hit near the coasts of Romania and neighbouring NATO member Bulgaria over the previous 10 days, with at least 23 sailors reported missing or dead.