Romanian President Nikusor Dan described the incident with a merchant ship in the Black Sea as a new challenge to security in the region. This was reported by local media, BTA reports.
“It is obvious that this event is part of the escalation process triggered by Russia in the context of the war in Ukraine“, said Dan.
According to him, the incident is taking place against the backdrop of the tense situation in the region, caused by the war in Ukraine and the risks to security in the Black Sea. The president announced that additional equipment is to be deployed, without specifying what exactly it will include.
Dan recalled that a meeting of the Supreme National Defense Council was held the previous day, dedicated to the issue. He also noted that on Tuesday, at the request of Romania and Bulgaria, the North Atlantic Council, NATO's highest political decision-making body, met to discuss the situation.
Meanwhile, Romanian Foreign Minister Dan Neculaescu also commented on the incident. In a post on his official X social network profile, he said that the merchant vessel was the subject of a deadly attack just 13 nautical miles from Constanta. According to the information he provided, one sailor was killed and others were injured.
“Today's deadly attack on a merchant vessel, carried out just 13 nautical miles from Constanta - in which one sailor was killed and others were injured - constitutes a gross violation of international law and freedom of navigation“, Neculaescu wrote.
He expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased and indicated that the rescue operations of the Romanian Coast Guard are continuing.
According to the Romanian foreign minister, Russia's war against Ukraine is escalating and directly affects merchant shipping in the Black Sea. He defined what happened as an immediate threat to both regional and global security.
Neculaescu added that Romania is coordinating its actions with NATO allies, including Bulgaria and Turkey, to accelerate the deployment of additional surveillance capabilities. They were agreed at the meeting of the North Atlantic Council on 20 October.