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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged €50 million ($56 million) on Tuesday to help Bulgaria and Romania set up a joint maritime security hub in the Black Sea more quickly, after a series of deadly drone attacks on cargo ships.
Speaking at a press conference in the Bulgarian port of Varna alongside Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, von der Leyen said all sides had agreed to accelerate the project in order to restore freedom of navigation in the waterway.
“It is important to have it now up and running,” she said, adding that the EU wants “clear timelines” for its completion and is offering dedicated funding for the hub.
At least nine cargo ships were struck by naval drones near Romania and Bulgaria last month, killing several seafarers and leaving others missing. The attacks have heightened concern that the maritime dimension of the war between Russia and Ukraine is spilling toward the territory of NATO members and becoming a major test for the alliance in the Black Sea.
NATO has said it will deploy maritime patrol aircraft, radars and drones to reinforce its eastern flank in the region.
Bulgaria and Romania plan to set up the hub jointly under an EU mandate. Its purpose is to improve the sharing of situational awareness and information and to strengthen the security of a waterway that is central to trade and to energy and food supplies, including shipments from Ukraine that millions of people rely on.
The Black Sea has been a major route for Ukrainian grain and other exports, and its security has been a concern for coastal states since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Authorities in the two countries have taken different positions on responsibility for the attacks. Bucharest has accused Russia of “systematic” strikes on civilian ships, but it has stopped short of attributing individual attacks to Moscow, citing the need for forensic evidence.
Sofia has not blamed Russia. It has said, however, that some of the attacks appear to benefit Moscow. Russia has denied involvement.
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