In brief
At a trilateral security meeting in Sofia, defence ministers from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey condemned drone strikes against commercial vessels in the Black Sea and agreed to set up a coordination mechanism to improve rapid response. They also discussed joint projects to counter low‑flying threats and the purchase of new surface‑to‑air missile systems. The talks were prompted by attacks on ships in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone a week or two earlier.
Defence ministers from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey gathered in Sofia on 28 October 2026 to condemn series of drone attacks that struck merchant vessels operating in the Black Sea and to establish a trilateral coordination mechanism for faster and more effective responses to future incidents.
The meeting, held at the Boyana Residence, brought together Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov and his chief of defence, Admiral Emil Eftimov; Romanian Defence Minister Stefan‑Radu Oprea and deputy chief of defence, Lieutenant General Dragos‑Dumitru Iacob; and Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler along with chief of defence, General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu.
Stoyanov said the talks were initiated after a series of drones struck a container ship 21 nautical miles southeast of the Bulgarian coastal town of Shabla, and other commercial vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone two weeks earlier. The attacks were described by Bulgarian officials as “violent” and “a blatant threat to neutrality and freedom of navigation.”
During the session, the three countries expressed their shared condemnation of the drone strikes and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting civilian shipping in the Black Sea. They agreed that any coordination mechanism would focus exclusively on measures they could take independently, without directing the effort toward any other state.
Stoyanov explained that the proposed mechanism would allow the countries to “react quickly” to developments that threaten Black Sea security. He noted that the trilateral talks would pursue operational and strategic measures that enhance situational awareness and enable prompt action without prior formal memoranda.
While discussing the coordination framework, the ministers also reviewed two memoranda that the Council of Ministers was expected to approve on the following Wednesday. The first memorandum concerns Bulgaria’s participation in a project aimed at countering low‑flying threats across the Black Sea region. The second memorandum covers Bulgaria’s procurement of MICA surface‑to‑air missiles for its patrol ships, a newer generation of armaments designed for air defence.
Stoyanov emphasized that the newly announced cooperation was “a clear sign of shared responsibility in a complex regional situation,” especially following the recent drone attacks that have heightened maritime security concerns in the Black Sea corridor.
He thanked Romanian and Turkish officials for joining the initiative and highlighted that their participation had broadened the scope of joint maritime security efforts. Stoyanov said that the goals of the mechanism were not only to improve surveillance and counter‑measure capabilities but also to reassure commercial shipping that the involved trilateral partners remain committed to maintaining freedom of navigation.
In his public remarks, Stoyanov said there would be no official memorandum directed at Russia or any other external actor. He clarified that all measures would remain confidential until a consensus had been reached among Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, after which they would become public.
The coordination mechanism is expected to produce a framework for joint patrols, intelligence sharing and rapid response drills. The ministers also acknowledged that the future operation of such a system would require continuous political and logistical dialogue.
In the days following the meeting, the three officials reiterated that the partnership would strengthen maritime security and reduce the likelihood of further attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
The discussion reflected a broader trend of increased cooperation among Black Sea littoral states amid ongoing regional tensions, with the trilateral alliance emphasizing operational readiness and autonomous defence measures.
As reported by Bulgaria’s State News Agency (BTA), the ministers concluded the talks with a joint statement condemning the drone attacks and outlining the steps that would be taken to safeguard maritime life and trade in the region.
