Bulgarian lawmaker urges NATO Article 4 talks over Black Sea drone attacks
A Bulgarian MP says the country should seek NATO Article 4 consultations with Romania and Turkey after drone attacks on ships in the Black Sea, as the vice president rules out invoking the clause.
Bulgaria should coordinate with Romania and Turkey and call for consultations under Article 4 of the NATO treaty over this week's drone attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea, GERB-SDS lawmaker Daniel Mitov said on NOVA News. Article 4 allows any member state to call consultations when it believes its security is threatened, and does not require an attack on a member's own territory, Mitov said.
Mitov rejected the idea that the drones were equally likely to be Russian or Ukrainian, noting that Russia's defence ministry had itself announced attacks on Ukrainian targets including ports and ships. "The fact that some part with 'Made in the USSR' written on it hasn't surfaced yet doesn't mean the odds are 50-50," he said. He argued that joint consultations with Romania and Turkey, Bulgaria's NATO allies, would allow Bulgaria to draw on allied intelligence and help guarantee the safety of Black Sea shipping, calling it both a security and an economic issue.
Vice President Iliana Yotova, reading a declaration after a meeting of the Consultative Council for National Security called over the attack, said Russia's war against Ukraine had significantly worsened the security environment in the Black Sea region. The council found an escalation in military activity threatening maritime security and shipping, with a growing number of air and sea drone attacks on commercial vessels causing damage, sinkings and loss of life, she said, according to Vesti.bg.
The attacks had restricted freedom of navigation, sharply reduced shipping traffic, raised insurance costs and caused economic losses and a risk of environmental pollution, Yotova said. The council's recommendations, approved by a three-quarters majority with three parliamentary groups voting against, included stepping up maritime surveillance using drones, accelerating the modernisation of Bulgaria's armed forces with anti-drone systems, and reviewing laws to help protect strategic sites and guarantee maritime security.
Yotova said Bulgaria could use NATO's Eastern Sentry initiative to request that allies increase their contribution to the security of the Black Sea region, including more air and maritime surveillance assets and strengthened coastal and anti-drone defences. She said the council had not reached full consensus and called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and full use of diplomatic channels as the best guarantee of Bulgaria's own security.
What we know
- GERB-SDS lawmaker Daniel Mitov said Bulgaria should seek NATO Article 4 consultations with Romania and Turkey over Black Sea drone attacks on shipping
- Vice President Iliana Yotova said Bulgaria's national security council found an escalation in drone attacks on commercial vessels threatening Black Sea maritime security
- The council's recommendations, approved by a three-quarters majority, include more maritime drone surveillance and accelerated anti-drone defence modernisation
- Yotova said Bulgaria could seek increased allied contributions to Black Sea security through NATO's Eastern Sentry initiative
Why it matters for Europe
The debate over invoking NATO's Article 4 reflects how the drone attacks on commercial shipping, including the sinking of the Alfa Watan in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, have pushed Black Sea maritime security onto Bulgaria's national political agenda. The scale of the proposed response, from anti-drone systems to allied surveillance, shows Sofia treating the threat as a lasting one rather than an isolated incident.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 2 countries.
- NOVA News: Даниел Митов: България трябва да поиска консултации по член 4 от НАТО заради атаките в Черно море
- NOVA News: Политически консенсус или сблъсък: Каква трябва да е българската реакция след дроновата атака в Черно море
- Vesti.bg: Йотова обяви, че България ще поиска помощ от НАТО, но няма да задейства Член 4
- Le Monde: Les attaques de drones s’intensifient en mer Noire au large de la Bulgarie et de la Roumanie
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What is NATO's Article 4?
- It allows any member state to call consultations when it believes its security is threatened, without requiring an attack on its own territory, lawmaker Daniel Mitov said.
- Has Bulgaria decided to invoke Article 4?
- Not yet. The vice president said current measures continue, while a lawmaker from the governing coalition has urged joint consultations with Romania and Turkey.
- What did Bulgaria's security council recommend?
- More maritime drone surveillance, accelerated anti-drone defence modernisation, and legal changes to help protect strategic sites and maritime security, Vice President Iliana Yotova said.
This article was written with AI assistance from 4 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.