Von der Leyen pledges new EU funding for Bulgaria's Black Sea defences
The European Commission chief announced extra funding for Black Sea security and search-and-rescue during a visit to Varna with PM Radev.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced new EU funding for Bulgaria's Black Sea security and search-and-rescue capacity during a visit to Varna on Tuesday, where she met Prime Minister Rumen Radev. Von der Leyen said Bulgaria would receive €3.3 billion under the EU's SAFE joint defence procurement programme, an extra €10 million for search-and-rescue support, and €50 million for a planned Black Sea Maritime Security Hub run jointly with Romania.
Radev told reporters that drone and vessel attacks in the Black Sea had killed sailors and that "these attacks are absolutely unacceptable," adding that merchant vessels must not be targeted. He said Bulgarian crews had rescued 56 sailors in difficult conditions and that the country had deployed aircraft, naval vessels, border police and drones, with extra maritime patrol aircraft supplied by the United States and France.
Von der Leyen said the EU was strengthening maritime surveillance using satellite imagery from the Copernicus programme, adding that image downloads had doubled since September. She said freedom of navigation in the Black Sea "must be restored, and preserved," citing its importance for trade, Ukraine's economy and food supplies to Africa.
The visit followed a stop in Bucharest, where von der Leyen met Romanian President Nicusor Dan and Prime Minister Luca Niculescu and announced EU funding for the joint Black Sea security hub. Separately, a NATO RQ-4D Phoenix surveillance drone flew from Sicily over Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the Black Sea on Tuesday, a flight tracked by open-source aviation monitors, Bulgarian broadcaster NOVA News reported.
Radev also thanked von der Leyen for EU support since 2023 that allocated Bulgaria a €600 million package to strengthen its land and maritime borders, saying attempted crossings had since fallen sharply. He welcomed the planned Maritime Security Center for Bulgaria and Romania and said Europe's security depended on building up its own industrial and defence capabilities.
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What we know
- Von der Leyen announced €3.3 billion for Bulgaria under the EU's SAFE defence procurement scheme, plus €10 million for search-and-rescue and €50 million for a Bulgaria-Romania Black Sea security hub.
- Radev said Bulgarian crews had rescued 56 sailors and that attacks on merchant vessels in the Black Sea were unacceptable.
- The EU is expanding maritime surveillance using Copernicus satellite imagery, with downloads doubling since September, von der Leyen said.
- A NATO RQ-4D Phoenix surveillance drone flew from Sicily to the Black Sea via Albania, North Macedonia and Bulgaria on Tuesday.
Not yet confirmed
- A possible reason for the drone's unusual route over Albania, including a delayed overflight clearance from North Macedonia, has not been officially confirmed.
Why it matters for Europe
Bulgaria sits on the EU's eastern Black Sea flank, where attacks on merchant shipping have become a growing security concern for the bloc. Von der Leyen's funding pledges, covering both rescue capacity and a joint security hub with Romania, mark one of the EU's most concrete responses yet to attacks that have disrupted shipping and trade routes important to Ukraine's economy and global food supplies.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 3 countries.
- Novinite: Von der Leyen Met Radev in Varna, Backs EU Measures to Protect Bulgaria's Black Sea Coast
- NOVA News: Разузнавателен дрон на НАТО премина над България към Черно море по необичаен маршрут
- Novinite: RQ-4D Phoenix Drone Flies Over Bulgaria Along Unusual Balkan Route
- Antena 3 CNN: Zbor neobișnuit deasupra Balcanilor. O dronă Phoenix a survolat mai multe țări în drum spre Marea Neagră, într-o misiune rară
- The Brussels Times: EU announces major funding to bolster Bulgaria's defence and Black Sea security
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What did the EU announce for Bulgaria?
- €3.3 billion under the SAFE defence scheme, €10 million for search-and-rescue, and €50 million for a joint Black Sea security hub with Romania, von der Leyen said.
- Why is Black Sea security a concern?
- Radev said drone and vessel attacks have killed sailors and disrupted shipping in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone.
- What else happened during the visit?
- A NATO surveillance drone flew an unusual route over the Balkans to the Black Sea the same day, tracked by open-source flight monitors.
This article was written with AI assistance from 5 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.