Bulgaria is considering activating NATO Article 4 after drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea

Bulgaria is considering activating NATO Article 4 after drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. President Iliana Iotova will discuss navigation safety and the measures needed to protect civilian infrastructure with Romanian President Nicușor Dan on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.

Sofia intends to refer the matter to the UN Security Council and is working to include an extraordinary item on maritime security on the agenda of the next European Council meeting. Iotova announced that she had agreed on a joint text with her counterparts from Romania and Turkey, which could serve as the basis for a moratorium on the use of drones against commercial vessels.

The attacks on October 13 targeted two vessels off the Bulgarian coast. One sank, while the other was damaged. Bulgaria has asked the European Union and NATO for technical assistance in investigating the incidents, and the defense ministers of the three coastal states have already discussed joint action. A meeting dedicated to Black Sea security is expected within the next ten days.

Article 4 allows a NATO member state to request consultations when it considers its security to be threatened. The mechanism does not automatically entail military intervention, but opens the way for joint measures. In Bulgaria, former defense officials are criticizing the authorities' response and calling for permanent air and satellite surveillance in the exclusive economic zone.