NATO officials are considering redeploying anti-drone countermeasures to the Black Sea region after requests from Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey, which are cooperating on an initiative to safeguard freedom of navigation. The three countries plan to present this initiative to the European Union this week. Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, NATO naval forces have avoided Black Sea exercises under the 1936 Montreux Convention, which allows Turkey to restrict ship passage.
This has prevented Russia from reinforcing its Black Sea fleet. Ukraine has neutralized Russian warships using aerial and sea drones, disrupting Russian-linked shipping and ports, though Russia has retaliated with drone attacks on Ukrainian ports and regional vessels. Over 90% of Ukraine's grain exports now travel through Romanian, Bulgarian, or Turkish waters, but recent Russian attacks are disrupting shipments of the latest harvest to Europe, forcing rerouting via land or the Danube River.
These attacks, occurring near NATO countries, coincide with Russian hybrid warfare tactics, including a drone attack on a German cargo airport and an explosive drone boat near a Romanian gas platform. Despite the war, Turkey, Romania, and Bulgaria continue naval modernization and maritime security cooperation, a trend likely to accelerate due to growing shipping dangers.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing