Bulgaria has mobilized the available army resources for the surveillance and protection of the Black Sea. Bulgarian aviation will also be activated more often, and the actions will be directed at territorial waters and the adjacent airspace, said Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov.
“There will be much more activation of Bulgarian aviation along the Black Sea coast and we will work in territorial waters“, Stoyanov told journalists. He specified that the increased surveillance should not bother citizens.
Two Bulgarian unmanned systems are already monitoring the Black Sea, and preparations are underway to deploy a third. The first flights with one of the systems were carried out on October 20. The operations also involve the Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, which performs missions over the sea, and the information from it is provided to NATO.
In parallel with the national measures, Bulgaria expects additional support from the allies. In two letters - sent at the end of August and on October 13 - the country has requested aerial surveillance, aerial patrolling and anti-aircraft missile systems according to the partners' capabilities. As of October 18, it had not yet been specified which countries and what specific capabilities they would provide.
The investigation into the attack on the Chelsea 3 continues
The measures were taken after a series of incidents with drones and attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. In one of the cases, a ship sank, and the Chelsea 3 was towed to the port in Burgas.
The Military Prosecutor's Office is conducting pre-trial proceedings in the case of the “Chelsea 3“. According to Stoyanov, the ship is being inspected and the remains of unmanned aerial vehicles are being searched. The fragments found are yet to be identified to determine whether they are from a ship, a drone or another object.
The Minister stated that Bulgaria will not undertake mobilization and will not send its troops outside the country's territory. According to him, a reaction to a specific threat can be undertaken in Bulgaria's territorial waters.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, bntnews.bg