EU pledges €10 million for Bulgarian Black Sea search, rescue operations

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced €10 million in emergency funding for Bulgaria on Tuesday to bolster search and rescue operations in the Black Sea, where drone attacks linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine have made commercial shipping increasingly dangerous.

“Drones sinking commercial ships, setting vessels ablaze, killing civilians. Lives are lost at sea. Navigation is disrupted and the cost of insurance is skyrocketing,” she said.

“The intention of these attacks is clear to spread fear and uncertainty in Europe. We know the playbook and we are building resilience against it. So, you can count on a strong and united European response.”

Von der Leyen made the announcement during a visit to the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in the Bulgarian coastal city of Varna, a day after visiting Bucharest for talks with Romanian President Nicușor Dan.

Speaking alongside Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, she pledged a stronger European response to threats against shipping in the Black Sea.

Radev, who has advocated closer diplomatic engagement with Russia to end the war, declined to attribute responsibility for the recent attacks while investigations remain underway.

“We would like to receive further data and specific facts as to who the perpetrator is,” he told reporters at the joint press conference. In the past, however, Radev has stated that “logic” suggests that the attacks are due to Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine.

On Monday, von der Leyen began her tour of the EU’s Black Sea countries impacted by recent drone attacks. From Bucharest, she announced a similar €10 million would be provided to Romania to bolster search and rescue operations.