Original Coverage & Source Attribution: bnn-news.com
Following strikes on cargo ships in the Black Sea in October—occurring near NATO member states Romania and Bulgaria—the alliance has announced the deployment of patrol aircraft, drones, and radar systems to bolster the defense of its eastern flank, reports Reuters.
These persistent attacks illustrate how maritime warfare is evolving into a challenge for NATO. Military experts state there is little doubt that Russia is behind the attacks; the maritime drone used in the most recent strike resembles devices known to be employed by Russia. Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in the UK, noted that this clearly constitutes an escalation.
Russia denies using drones to carry out attacks on Ukraine’s neighbors, asserting instead that it is the governments of European nations that are escalating the war by providing military support to Kyiv.
Several of the vessels struck in the October attacks were either anchored or navigating near the Danube channel, a route used for the export of Ukrainian grain. One strike took place within Romanian territorial waters, while eight other vessels were hit within Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone. Iulia Joja, Director of the Black Sea Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, stated that Russia takes Western aversion to escalation into account when carrying out attacks.
She noted that this is a matter of testing “red lines,” with the full knowledge that NATO’s response will be as limited as possible.
A NATO official remarked that Russian actions—aimed at sowing fear and insecurity to erode support for Ukraine—pose a serious security threat, while emphasizing that the Alliance’s commitment to defend all its member states remains rock-solid. The official added that there is a clear need to develop cost-effective defenses against drones; NATO has already pledged to invest 40 billion dollar in anti-drone systems over the next five years.
For Romania, the Black Sea serves as a vital trade artery. Its coastline is also home to the Neptun Deep project, which is set to make Romania Europe’s largest natural gas producer next year. In August, an uncrewed maritime vessel was observed approaching the facility.
Bucharest has accused Russia of systematically targeting civilian vessels, though it has stopped short of explicitly blaming the Russians for specific attacks, citing the need for more conclusive evidence. The Bulgarians have not directly blamed the Russians, though they have pointed out that Russia is the only party to benefit from the attacks.
The strikes are occurring at a time when Washington is recalibrating its military presence in Europe to focus more on China’s activities; last year, 1,000 American troops were withdrawn from Romania.
A high-ranking Romanian official remarked that this is a juncture in transatlantic relations that Putin would be keen to exploit to his own advantage.
He added that while the attention of the European Union and NATO is crucial, these entities are currently prioritizing the north and the Baltic states. Joja noted that although NATO has bolstered its presence in the Baltic states and Poland, it has failed to do the same in the Black Sea, despite requests from Bucharest.
The Romanian official emphasized the urgent need to deploy surface-to-air interceptors and radar systems in Romania. Joja, meanwhile, stated that the primary challenge for the West at present is the availability of affordable interceptor weaponry—a situation exacerbated by the US-led conflict involving Iran.
The strikes on Black Sea ports have compelled both Ukraine and Russia to seek alternative export routes. According to data obtained by Reuters, Russia shipped 0.3 million tonnes of grain via the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov in September—a figure significantly lower than in September of last year, when 4.74 million tonnes of grain were exported along these routes.
In late July, Ukraine suspended operations at its Black Sea ports due to Russian strikes, redirecting exports instead to ports on the Danube and subsequently to the Sulina Canal in Romanian territory, which provides access to the Black Sea. Despite the availability of these alternative routes, Ukraine’s grain exports have fallen to 0.81 million tonnes.
