In brief
Bulgarian, Romanian and Turkish defence ministers said they would launch a coordination mechanism to speed up decisions on Black Sea security, following a series of drone attacks on merchant ships. The proposal will be presented in Sofia and aims to improve how the three countries respond to threats to freedom of navigation. The Council of Ministers will also decide on projects to counter low‑flying drones and to buy MICA surface‑to‑air missiles for patrol vessels.
In Sofia on October 28, 2026, defence ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey announced plans for a Black Sea coordination mechanism to speed up their responses to security incidents in the region. The three nations will meet at the Boyana Residence to discuss a fast‑track system for handling threats that affect freedom of navigation and maritime security.
The meetings came after several drone attacks on commercial vessels in Bulgaria’s Black Sea zone, including a container ship hit by three maritime drones 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla. The ministers condemned the attacks and said the new mechanism would help the three countries act faster in similar situations.
During the talks, Minister of Defence Dimitar Stoyanov said the Council of Ministers would decide on two memoranda. One would allow Bulgaria to join a project that counters low‑flying threats, and the other would let Bulgaria acquire MICA surface‑to‑air missiles for its patrol ships.
Participants also included Bulgarian Chief of Defence Admiral Emil Eftimov, Romanian Defence Minister Stefan‑Radu Oprea, Romanian Deputy Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Dragos‑Dumitru Iacob, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and Turkish Chief of Defence General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. The ministers agreed to finalize the coordination agreements at the end of the meeting and to keep the measures confidential until they are shared with all three sides.
