Following Black Sea Drone Attacks, Prime Minister, Ministers and Security Chiefs Answered Questions in Parliamentary Hearing

Parliament on October 14 held a hearing with government officials following drone attacks on four vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. The hearing, attended by Prime Minister Rumen Radev, the Ministers of Interior and Defence, and the heads of the security services, lasted nearly three hours.

At the outset, PM Radev assured MPs that all diplomatic channels had been activated to secure full assistance from NATO and the EU, both in investigating the incidents involving the four ships and in strengthening radar surveillance and air defence coverage along the Bulgarian coast and across the country’s exclusive economic zone. He also provided further details of his meetings with Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova and Kyrylo Budanov. He assured that Bulgaria is prepared for the economic pressure resulting from the disruption of shipping.

Measures already taken include enhanced monitoring, reconnaissance using unmanned systems and the redeployment of surface-to-air missile systems. Funding and time are needed to develop new capabilities to defend against drones, Radev said.

Rumen Radev, Prime Minister: “Anti-drone surveillance, airspace control, response and interception cannot be achieved simply by making slogans. Does anyone in this chamber have any idea how we could provide radar surveillance across this entire exclusive economic zone? How could we ensure surface-to-air missile coverage and anti-drone protection throughout the zone, let alone in our territorial waters? It simply cannot be done.”

But he assured that the increased drone attacks would not affect fuel supplies.

Rumen Radev, Prime Minister: “Lukoil currently has sufficient reserves. There are 140,000 tonnes of oil in storage, with a further 420,000 tonnes awaiting unloading from three tankers currently in our territorial waters. Lukoil’s crude oil supplies are secured through November inclusive. I can even say until mid-December.”

There is also no direct threat to ships traveling to and from Bulgaria, as they are not military targets.

• Prime Minister Radev: We have demonstrated that Bulgaria has the capacity for swift and timely action

Rumen Radev, Prime Minister: “I do not expect problems for ships arriving at or departing from Bulgarian ports. Every vessel sails with its transponder switched on. It contains complete information about the ship and its route. As you can see, the attacks are highly targeted and precise. Whoever is carrying them out knows exactly what they are hitting, where they are hitting it and when.”

Radev also explained what he had told the Russian ambassador.

Rumen Radev, Prime Minister: “What I told Ambassador Mitrofanova was that it makes no sense for Ukraine to attack its own ships and crews, given that the outcome of all these attacks benefits Russia.”

He also revealed the topics he had discussed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff.

• Closer and Closer to the Bulgarian Coast: A Complex Rescue Operation Following the Drone Attack in the Black Sea (OVERVIEW)

Rumen Radev, Prime Minister: “I did not announce my meeting with Mr Budanov because I had an explicit request to keep it confidential. It was at his initiative that the meeting was not made public. Naturally, I asked him a question of my own: whose drones did he believe they were? Were they Ukrainian? What answer do you expect from Mr Budanov? The same sort of answer as the one from Mitrofanova. We have two warring sides, and each denies responsibility. What I can also disclose is that the Ukrainian side requested gas supplies through Bulgaria. The issue of the reactors at Belene was raised again.”

It also emerged that an investigation was under way into the arson attack on the Starlink antennas.

Rumen Radev, Prime Minister: “The law enforcement authorities have taken measures to protect critical infrastructure. We cannot cover the entire territory and station a police officer wherever there is an antenna.”

Ivan Demerdzhiev, Minister of the Interior: “The Ministry of Interior, working jointly with SANS, has taken and identified a series of measures. We have raised the level of security. An investigation is under way. We are confident that all the facts and circumstances will be established very soon.”

Plamen Tonchev, Chairman of the State Agency for National Security (SANS): “Similar acts of sabotage cannot be ruled out in the future. Literally every day, we identify individuals carrying out some form of surveillance of critical infrastructure, including railway bridges and stations."

Toma Bikov – GERB-UDF: “I do not accept these attempts to reassure the public. We cannot be calm in this situation, because it calls not for reassurance but for preventive measures. We must prepare for the worst-case scenarios, rather than assume that because four ships have been sunk, another four will not be.”

Delyan Peevski, Chairman of the MRF: “The most important thing we heard is that more money is needed for defence. We hear that enormous sums, running into billions, are being prepared for spending. The only thing they seem to want is to avoid scandals with the media and the opposition, get through the election and avoid harming their presidential candidate. After that, they intend to embark on reckless spending through the Road Infrastructure Agency, through Shishkov, filling the coffers of oligarchs and a circle of companies. We will propose that all these billions they have prepared to line their own pockets should instead go towards defence, the security of Bulgarian citizens and energy compensation, as well as compensation for the high, enormous, monstrous food prices.”

Ivaylo Mirchev, Democratic Bulgaria: “Drone attacks in the Black Sea — once again, as a country, we lack the courage to say that these are Russian attacks. Who wants to set fire to Starlink antennas? The one who fears that Starlink is targetting them. Russia is worried.”

Nikolay Denkov, We Continue the Change: “In democratic countries, there is no such thing as an opposition that has outlived its purpose. In democratic countries, it is governments that can outlive their purpose. The previous government fell because of its arrogance. Be careful that you are not next.”

Tsoncho Ganev, Vazrazhdane: “Why have we ended up in this situation? Because, just like the previous government, you continue to export weapons and impose sanctions in every possible form.”

The parliamentary majority, meanwhile, sent off the Prime Minister and his ministers with applause.