Bulgaria confirms NATO aircraft patrol over Black Sea — Anadolu Agency

Bulgaria has confirmed that a Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft is conducting reconnaissance missions over the Black Sea. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said the aircraft is carrying out reconnaissance to identify potential threats following drone attacks on merchant vessels in the region, Anadolu Agency reports.

Assistance from NATO allies

According to Radev, Bulgaria's NATO allies responded promptly to the country's request for assistance. He also said that Bulgaria has fully deployed its capabilities for surveillance, reconnaissance, threat detection and response.

The prime minister added that further support from Alliance allies is expected. Last week, Bulgaria asked them to provide air patrols and additional military capabilities, including missile and counter-drone systems, as well as patrol aircraft.

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Statement by Bulgaria's Defense Ministry

Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said that the Poseidon belongs to NATO and should not be linked to any individual country. According to him, the aircraft has no strike capabilities and will continue its missions for as long as necessary.

Stoyanov noted that Bulgaria and NATO jointly made the decision to deploy the aircraft, while information collected during the flights is transferred to the Alliance. Earlier, Bulgaria's Defense Ministry confirmed patrols by a US military aircraft over the Black Sea as part of enhanced vigilance measures.

Over the past month, four vessels have been attacked in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, two of which sank.