EU Puts EUR50 Million Into Black Sea Maritime Security Hub
The European Union plans to invest EUR50 million in a joint Romanian-Bulgarian maritime security hub for the Black Sea, after a wave of attacks on Ukraine-linked ships. Bulgaria has declined to name a suspect, while Romania blames Russia.
The European Union plans to invest EUR50 million to build a joint Romanian-Bulgarian maritime security hub for the Black Sea, a move that puts funding into maritime security after a wave of attacks on Ukraine-linked shipping in the western part of the sea.
The money is paired with a further EUR10 million to support search and rescue operations. The hub should be completed and ready by the end of the year.
Its tasks will include supporting trade, protecting critical infrastructure and sharing information between Romania and Bulgaria.
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen called on Monday, November 9, for swift implementation of the hub. She also urged stronger cooperation between the authorities in Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey.
"The skies over the Black Sea have darkened, particularly in recent weeks, with drone attacks targeting commercial ships off your coasts, innocent sailors having lost their lives," Von der Leyen said.
About 40 seafarers have been killed in strikes on more than 500 ships this year. That count covers the suspected Russian attacks in the western Black Sea and an earlier surge of Ukrainian attacks in the Sea of Azov and the northeastern Black Sea. The death toll is higher than in the contested Strait of Hormuz.
Ukraine, the EU and Romania have attributed the recent attacks in the west to Russia. Bulgaria has declined to name a suspect.
The two neighbors are openly split over how to talk about it. Ukraine and Russia both claim responsibility for strikes on civilian shipping in the region, and Romania has adopted a policy of acknowledging Russia as the source of attacks.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has blamed Romania's leaders for pointing the finger at Moscow in public. He even suggested the pace of attacks rose because Romania made such accusations against the Russian military.
Radev said late last month that Romania's political leadership had come forward to say "we have no evidence, but we know very well that Russia is responsible for these attacks and we condemn them categorically." He then asked: "What happened? Two ships, one of them just a few days ago, were hit and sunk in the most defiant way possible in Romanian territorial waters."
Radev appeared to link Romania's statements to the strikes. Romania has not been quoted responding to that suggestion.
