29.10.2026
"There is only one way to ensure that these attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea finally stop: a ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table for peace talks." Prime Minister Rumen Radev made this statement in response to questions from journalists.
The Prime Minister noted that video footage of the drone and all available evidence had already been shared with Bulgaria's allies and that all possible expert examinations were currently being carried out. "I expect us finally to have an answer and clear evidence of who is carrying out these attacks," Rumen Radev said.
The Prime Minister stated that Bulgaria was pursuing initiatives at both international and regional levels in response to these incidents. The matter had been raised with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the NATO Secretary General, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, as well as with countries in the region. He emphasised that all available measures had already been taken, including the full mobilisation of the capabilities of Bulgaria's Armed Forces and those of its allies.
Rumen Radev also pointed out that even if Bulgaria had the capability to act beyond its territorial waters, its actions were governed by international law, and the country could not take measures outside those waters in breach of established international rules.
The Prime Minister said that allied maritime patrol aircraft were already operating in coordination with Bulgarian command centres and exchanging information with them. A French patrol aircraft had detected the drones approximately half an hour before the attack on the CONTSHIP JET and relayed information about their flight path, enabling the crew of the targeted vessel to evacuate.
The Prime Minister also highlighted that the Bulgarian Air Force had been ready to deploy aircraft from the air base near Balchik to counter the drones if they entered Bulgaria's territorial waters, but it did not come to that. NATO's military capabilities are deployed from the Baltic Sea, across land, to the Black Sea, but these capabilities also have their limits. Rumen Radev emphasised that every possible measure was being taken, but the only sure way to bring an end to attacks on merchant vessels was a ceasefire and the political will to engage in dialogue.
The Prime Minister reiterated his position that the European Union and NATO should focus their efforts on supporting dialogue and peace negotiations. He described the initiatives undertaken in this direction by Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a positive sign.
Asked by journalists whether the Russian Ambassador in Sofia would be summoned if the drones were proven to be of Russian origin, the Prime Minister stated that Bulgaria would respond immediately once their origin had been established. "Absolutely. If the origin of these drones is established, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will formally summon the ambassador of the country concerned to present a formal note of protest," Rumen Radev said.
Responding to a journalist's question about headlines in Romanian media criticising his remarks at the Sofia Economic Forum, which had been reproduced by some Bulgarian media outlets, the Prime Minister said that he had not read the headlines but that they most likely reflected speculation, a misunderstanding or something lost in translation.
The Prime Minister pointed out that some Bulgarian politicians were persistently promoting the narrative that accusing Russia of carrying out the attack and pointing the finger at it would somehow protect Bulgaria, but reality had proved otherwise. He added that Romania had stated that the drones were Russian, yet this had not protected the country. "The following day, drones sank a ship in Romania's own territorial waters," Rumen Radev noted. The Bulgarian Prime Minister's position is therefore that ending attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea requires an end to hostilities between Russia and Ukraine and the achievement of lasting peace.
In response to another question from journalists, Prime Minister Radev stated that the Council of Ministers would comply with the decisions of the Central Election Commission and the court regarding reports concerning election campaigning. The Central Election Commission had already ruled that the Prime Minister had not committed an administrative offence in this regard.
