In brief
In Sofia on 28 October 2026, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced that Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey would propose a coordination mechanism to accelerate responses to Black Sea security incidents. The proposal follows a series of drone attacks on merchant vessels, including a container ship struck near Shabla, and is accompanied by memoranda on low‑flying threat projects and MICA missile acquisition. The mechanism remains a proposal, with final decisions pending trilateral talks.
On 28 October 2026, Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov announced in Sofia that Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey would propose a coordination mechanism to speed up responses to developments affecting Black Sea security. He addressed reporters before trilateral talks were held at Boyana Residence, where the ministers hoped to outline independent measures for ensuring freedom of navigation. The initiative, he said, would help the three countries make sound, appropriate decisions in complex situations and serve the interests of all three nations.
Stoyanov also stated that the Council of Ministers would decide that day on two memoranda: one on Bulgaria’s participation in a project to counter low‑flying threats and another on acquiring MICA surface‑to‑air missiles for the country’s patrol ships. The proposed mechanism, while confirmed as a proposition, has not yet been adopted.
The call for a joint response framework was prompted by recent drone attacks on merchant ships within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. A container ship had been struck by three maritime drones about 21 nautical miles southeast of Shabla, a Bulgarian Black Sea coastal town. Stoyanov noted that the incident was the latest in a series of drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, and urged the partners to reach a common position by the end of the meeting.
Following the talks, Stoyanov said that Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey unequivocally condemned the attacks and thanked their counterparts for accepting the invitation. He emphasized that the discussions focused exclusively on measures the three countries could take independently, and that no memorandum directed at Russia or any other country was under consideration at this stage.
While the meeting produced a clear statement of intent, the exact terms of the coordination mechanism and the outcome of the memoranda remain to be finalized. The trilateral talks are expected to solidify the framework and publicise the measures once agreement is reached with the Romanian and Turkish sides.
