President Iliana Iotova in an Exclusive Interview with BNT: The Unprecedented Attacks Show the War Has Reached the Black Sea and Conflict Is Deepening

Speaking on the programme 'More from the Day' on October 13, President Iliana Iotova thanked the rescue teams who had worked throughout the night and managed to save the sailors aboard one of the ships attacked by drones in the Black Sea. Unfortunately, only five sailors from the second ship had been rescued, she added.

“What did Bulgaria do a few days ago, when these incidents involving attacks on ships occurred, and what is it doing today? Everything we can. The priority is the rescue operation, which is why the Security Council is usually convened. It is the operational body responsible for assigning tasks to the relevant services, the Maritime Administration, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Transport and all other institutions, because the most important thing is saving human lives,” Iotova said.

She announced that a joint text had been drawn up at short notice in coordination with her counterparts in Romania and Türkiye. She is also due to hold a further conversation with the Romanian President tomorrow.

"What is the purpose of this text? We set out all the risks and dangers we are witnessing today as the war escalates, particularly in the Black Sea basin. We want an extraordinary item to be placed on the agenda of the next summit meeting in Brussels.

The issue should not be addressed merely as part of the broader context of the war, but rather as a separate item specifically devoted to the Black Sea. The idea is then to seek consultations and possible courses of action with all the other countries bordering the Black Sea, because its security and shipping are of the utmost importance to us.

“The situation is worrying and dangerous. Today’s unprecedented and severe attacks show that the war has reached the Black Sea and that the conflict is deepening. We are also concerned that, if this continues, the disruption of shipping corridors will cause serious problems with oil supplies to our refinery, in addition to the losses we are suffering and the disruption of food supply routes to Asia, Africa and the rest of the world,” the President explained.

• President: Bulgaria Strongly Condemns the Latest Incidents of Attacks on Commercial Ships in the Black Sea

Iotova also announced that a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, attended by NATO’s permanent representatives in Brussels, had taken place that afternoon. The Black Sea situation, including the events of that night and previous incidents, was raised as an extraordinary item, in the presence of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

“The assistance envisaged for Bulgaria at this stage covers two areas. The first concerns the investigation, as we still lack conclusive evidence regarding the initial incidents involving the first two ships, one of which also sank, as well as the latest incidents. Our partners have the necessary capabilities, and our European partners can provide underwater drones through the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). These can descend to considerable depths to examine the ships.

“The second area is additional protection and surveillance that NATO can provide. The political decision has been taken, so from now on, at expert level, the Ministry of Defence will assess what specific assistance can be provided to us,” she stressed.

The package of measures is intended to establish a moratorium on the use of drones against commercial vessels and civilian infrastructure in the Black Sea, as well as to bring hostilities in the region to an end, Iliana Iotova added.

She clarified that she had no information indicating that the possibility of invoking Article 4 had been raised, either by Bulgaria or by its partners.

“These incidents have become more frequent, not only in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. They are also happening in Romania, and much more frequently in Türkiye. Our neighbours are also refraining from invoking Article 4.

“Secondly, Article 4 provides for consultations when a country’s national security is under threat. In fact, through the programme and package of measures I have outlined, we have already held these consultations.

“There is also a third option: after the EU summit in Brussels, if it is decided that Article 4 should be invoked, it would be preferable for this to be done by a large group of EU member states. Türkiye is not an EU member, of course, but it could subsequently be included in that decision.”

Iotova expects an investigation involving Bulgaria’s partner services to be carried out in the coming days, weather conditions permitting. The sea is currently very rough, and no other people should be put at risk. The investigation aims to eliminate any doubts and establish what types of drones were used.