Bulgarian PM accuses Romania of provoking new Black Sea drone attacks on ships

Radev accuses Romania of provoking attacks

On 26 October, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev spoke at the seventh Sofia Economic Forum and criticised Romania indirectly, in the words of several outlets. He said Bulgaria was the only prime minister of the three Black Sea NATO members to summon Russia's ambassador and set out his country's position. Radev argued that accusations must rest on clear evidence, and he said Romania had blamed Russia for the drone attacks before new incidents followed. He claimed two ships were struck and sunk in Romanian territorial waters, one of them only days before his speech. He also assured the forum that Bulgarian ports and territorial waters are safe.

Eight ships hit in under three weeks

Between 5 and 23 October, eight commercial ships were hit or involved in incidents linked to drone attacks near Bulgaria and Romania, according to figures reported by the Bulgarian daily Trud. Four incidents happened near Bulgaria and four near Romania. A Financial Times analysis cited by Digi24 describes the Black Sea as the most dangerous shipping route in the world, with more than 570 vessels hit in 2026 alone and at least 40 sailors killed. The same analysis cites 24 confirmed deaths in the Strait of Hormuz over the same period. The reports do not show Radev presenting new evidence at the forum.

Near Bulgaria4

Near Romania4

Near Bulgaria

4 ships

Near Romania

4 ships

Data from the article text

The Khoryv sinking off Constanța

On 23 October, the Comoros-flagged commercial ship Khoryv was hit by a drone and sank about 13 nautical miles off Constanța. One crew member died, nine were rescued and three were reported missing. Romanian President Nicușor Dan described the incident as an escalation effort by the Russian Federation in the context of the war in Ukraine. He added that the Black Sea drone attacks had been discussed both in the Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT) and within NATO. Romania plans to strengthen maritime surveillance, mine countermeasures and its response to drones entering its airspace without authorisation.

Reactions in Romania and NATO's response

Mihai Fifor, a PSD deputy whom the reporting describes as a former defence minister, reacted on Facebook and called Radev's statement surprising and at least unfortunate. He said responsibility for each security incident should be established on clear evidence, but that linking Romania's public positions to new attacks requires serious justification. He stressed that Romania acts in line with its commitments within NATO and the European Union. NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart wrote on X that the alliance will send additional resources to the Black Sea region, especially for surveillance, reconnaissance and investigation. She said the allies would remain united and prepared to respond to any threat.

Bulgaria's position and open questions

Radev said Bulgaria would use military and diplomatic means alongside its allies to protect freedom of navigation. He said Bulgarian rescue teams reached the scene within the first minutes of the incidents in the country's exclusive economic zone, despite darkness and difficult weather. He also said authorities had made every effort to recover the Chelsea 3 vessel and open a thorough investigation. In a statement to the Bulgarian parliament on 14 October, he had described Russia as the logical suspect while saying Bulgaria could not prove it. None of the reports describe evidence being made public, so responsibility for the attacks remains unestablished in the coverage.