NATO ambassadors met at the North Atlantic Council in Brussels on Tuesday, 20 October, and agreed to send extra assets to the Black Sea. Citing the alliance's military spokesman, Colonel Martin L. O'Donnell of the US Army, Reuters reported that the package includes maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, drones and intelligence personnel, along with teams examining traces of explosives used in the attacks. Allison Hart, the NATO spokesperson, posted the decision on X and said the support would cover surveillance, reconnaissance and forensics.
“Nato will be sending additional assets to the region, including support for surveillance, reconnaissance, and forensics.”
NATO has not said which assets will be sent or when they will arrive. Hart pointed to earlier steps on the eastern flank, including counter-drone capabilities already in place there. On Thursday, 15 October, Mark Rutte met Romanian President Nicusor Dan and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev on the sidelines of the European Council. Both leaders asked for the recent Black Sea incidents to be addressed, and Dan called the attacks unacceptable because they endanger human lives, world trade and critical infrastructure.
Reuters counted at least six non-military ships attacked over the past ten days, with 23 crew reported missing or dead. Russia's military said it had struck three cargo vessels at Ukraine's port of Reni and two more bound for Odesa. Earlier, on 6 and 13 October, drones hit four merchant ships in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, two of them sank and 21 sailors are missing. In the week of 12 October, two chemical tankers were hit near the Romanian coast, and seven sailors were reported missing after fires broke out on board. NATO has not named a perpetrator, and Moscow has not claimed responsibility.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said a US Navy P-8 Poseidon had begun patrols over the Black Sea at Sofia's request, looking for activity that could pose a risk. The aircraft landed at Varna on Sunday, 18 October, after flying from Sicily, according to flight-tracking data from ADS-B Exchange. Radev also said some NATO countries had quickly answered Bulgaria's call for help and that Sofia expects further support. Bulgaria summoned the Russian ambassador and opened an investigation into possible war crimes, because one of the sunken ships came from Ukraine. Romania said on Saturday, 17 October, that it had shot down two suspected Russian drones. Defence minister Radu Miruță said the drones were probably the latest generation of Russian drones, flying at speeds similar to fighter jets.
“The ones from last night were flying at 450 km/h, which leads us to think they were Russian-made Geran-4 drones with a turboprop engine.”
Romania has recorded 35 unauthorised drone incursions so far this year, compared with nine in 2025, and has downed six drones this year against none last year.
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The Black Sea carries essential grain, energy and raw material exports, and the London shipping insurance market has placed most of it in a new high-risk category, excluding the territorial waters of Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that intensified Russian attacks could trigger a global food crisis and urged Moscow to stop obstructing Ukrainian grain exports. Russia's TASS news agency reported that Moscow would perceive a larger NATO presence in the Black Sea as escalation and might expand its own military capabilities in response. The North Atlantic Council will hold a special session on the situation in the Black Sea on Wednesday, 21 October.
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NATO ambassadors agreed on Tuesday, 20 October, to send patrol aircraft, radar and intelligence staff to the Black Sea after drone attacks on merchant ships near Romania and Bulgaria. Military analysts assess Russia as the likely source, but NATO has not named a perpetrator.
AI text based on reports by NRC, The Guardian, N-tv and other publishers. Published .