Bulgarian PM holds talks with Russian ambassador after latest drone attacks on vessels in Bulgaria’s EEZ

Bulgarian Prime Minister Roumen Radev held a meeting on October 13 with Russian ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova regarding the drone attacks against merchant ships near Bulgarian territorial waters, the Bulgarian government information service said.

During the meeting, Radev emphasised that Bulgaria does not have definitive evidence of the origin of the drones used in the attacks, “but there is no logic for Ukraine to destroy its own ships, and the results of these strikes are in favour of Russia”.

The Bulgarian government information service quoted Mitrofanova as saying that she understands this logic, “but does not have any information from the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation related to the recent attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea”.

At the same time, she said that she does not exclude the logic “that these attacks on merchant ships near Bulgarian territorial waters constitute a provocation by a third party,” the statement said.

Radev emphasised that attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea are absolutely unacceptable and lead to a significant escalation of the conflict.

Bulgaria will continue to investigate the attacks together with its EU and Nato allies to establish the truth, Radev said.

Although not a party to the war, Bulgaria has suffered significant economic and financial damage, he said.

The attacks in the Black Sea have already led to increased risks for commercial shipping, increased insurance prices and even refusals to transport cargo to Bulgarian ports. This has also made oil supplies to the Bourgas refinery more expensive and threatened, the statement said.

Radev emphasised that Bulgaria will initiate talks with Romania and Türkiye to come up with joint proposals to guarantee the safety of shipping in the Black Sea.

Separately, President Iliana Yotova, in a statement on the presidency website on October 13, said that Bulgaria strongly condemns the latest cases of attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea, which are a gross violation of international humanitarian and maritime law.

“Freedom of navigation and the security of the supply chain are seriously threatened, generating a significant risk for our country,” Yotova said.

The escalation of the war has led to an increase in incidents near the Bulgarian coast and is turning the Black Sea into a military zone, she said.

The situation that has arisen requires Bulgaria, together with its allies and partners, to make every effort to quickly investigate the incidents and de-escalate the conflict through diplomatic channels and negotiations, Yotova said.

It is urgently necessary to implement the recommendations of the Consultative Council on National Security held on October 7 2026, Yotova said.