Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey Condemn 570 Black Sea Ship Attacks, Urge Restraint
Updated
Updated · Defense News · Oct 29
Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey Condemn 570 Black Sea Ship Attacks, Urge Restraint
3 articles · Updated · Defense News · Oct 29
Summary
Sofia talks ended with Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey condemning attacks on commercial vessels and warning all parties against actions that threaten Black Sea navigation, ports and maritime infrastructure.
More than 570 vessels have been hit in the Black Sea this year, according to Financial Times-cited Ambrey and IMO data, killing at least 40 seafarers and underscoring the ministers' push for restraint.
The three NATO littoral states agreed to deepen intelligence sharing, maritime domain awareness and early warning, while Turkey said it would keep enforcing the Montreux Convention.
As the meeting convened, Bulgaria's navy rescued the crew of the Liberian-flagged Contship Jet after an unmanned surface vessel struck it 17 miles east of Cape Kaliakra en route to Romania's Constanta.
The declaration casts the Black Sea as vital to global trade, grain and fertilizer flows, and signals a more coordinated NATO-border response to shipping risks from the Russia-Ukraine war.