- WIADOMOŚCI
Two ships sunk. Bulgaria turns to NATO for drone defence
Photo. ac.nato.int
Bulgaria plans to join a NATO counter-drone initiative by 30 October, dropping earlier cost objections after attacks sank two cargo ships off its Black Sea coast within a week.
Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov told parliament on 14 October that Sofia could afford the €220,000 annual contribution. The decision marks a shift from September, when he argued that taking part would duplicate an EU project and stretch limited defence funds.
Launched in February 2025, the NATO initiative is designed to improve detection and defence against threats flying below 150 metres, including small drones. Romania and Turkey are already participating.
The policy shift follows a series of maritime strikes. Two ships were attacked on 6 October, one of which sank. A second wave of drone strikes hit two more vessels on 13 October. In that attack, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged HS Dignity sank, leaving 11 of its 16 crew members missing, while all 15 crew from the other targeted vessel, the Maltese-flagged Chelsea-3, were rescued. Rescue operations were halted on 14 October due to strong winds, rough seas and poor visibility.
Alongside the NATO effort, Sofia has proposed an €80 million purchase of 20 counter-drone systems through the EU’s SAFE defence-financing programme, split equally between mobile and fixed units. A joint procurement agreement with Spain remains pending.
The attackers have yet to be conclusively identified. On 15 October, Prime Minister Rumen Radev described Russian involvement as a hypothesis rather than a proven finding. He noted that inspecting the damaged Chelsea-3 could uncover drone fragments, and he urged EU leaders to back a halt to attacks on civilian shipping.
That same day, Romania’s president reported that drones had hit two tankers near the Danube’s Black Sea outlet. Seven sailors were reported missing, and responsibility for those strikes also remains unconfirmed.
