Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev criticized after linking the attacks in the Black Sea to Romania’s accusations against Russia

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has triggered a wave of criticism in Bulgaria after linking drone attacks on vessels in the Black Sea to Romania’s statements regarding Russia’s involvement. The remarks were made on Monday at the Sofia Economic Forum.

Sofia’s opposition accused the prime minister of blaming the victims and harming strategic relations with Romania. Former Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov said Radev was blaming the Russians’ attacks on the Romanians, while Continue the Change party leader Asen Vasilev warned that the remarks had caused a diplomatic scandal.

The Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria party said the prime minister was destroying trust between Bulgaria and Romania, the only Black Sea littoral states that are members of both NATO and the European Union. The party called for an investigation coordinated with Bucharest and Western allies.

Criticism also came from Bulgarian journalists, analysts and citizens. Several messages posted online expressed solidarity with Romania and regret over the prime minister’s position.

Amid the reactions, Rumen Radev denied having accused Romania. He said his remarks had been misinterpreted and that Bulgaria had made no categorical accusations because it did not have precise evidence. According to the prime minister, the fact that Romania had identified the drones as Russian did not prevent further attacks.