Bulgaria confirms NATO surveillance flight over Black Sea
Bulgaria has confirmed that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft is operating over the Black Sea following drone attacks on merchant vessels in the region. Prime Minister Rumen Radev said NATO allies had responded swiftly to Sofia’s request for assistance, with further support expected.
Aircraft deployed to detect threats
Radev told reporters on Tuesday that the Boeing P-8A Poseidon was conducting reconnaissance missions to identify potential threats in the Black Sea.
He said Bulgaria had fully mobilized its surveillance, reconnaissance, detection and response capabilities, adding that additional assistance from NATO allies was expected.
The Bulgarian Defense Ministry had earlier confirmed that a US military aircraft conducted a patrol over the Black Sea as part of efforts to strengthen vigilance in the region.
Sofia and NATO jointly approved mission
Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov said the aircraft belonged to NATO and should not be associated exclusively with any individual country.
Stoyanov stressed that the Poseidon had no strike capability and would continue its missions for as long as necessary.
“The decision for it to be here was taken jointly by Bulgaria and NATO,” he said, adding that information collected during the missions was being shared with the alliance.
Bulgaria seeks additional military support
Bulgaria requested air patrols and additional military capabilities from NATO allies last week, including missile systems, anti-drone systems and patrol aircraft.
The move followed a series of attacks on vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. Four vessels have been attacked in the area over the past month, two of which sank.
Source:AA
