Black Sea drones: Bulgarian defence minister Stoyanov asks EU for evidence

Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov distanced himself on state broadcaster BNT from the EU summit's assessment that the drones that struck merchant ships in the Black Sea were Russian. “Let us leave the European Council's assessments to them,” he said, adding that anyone with current evidence should share it with Bulgaria. Real proof is needed to blame any country, especially as there are casualties, he said.

Stoyanov said he had no information on the damaged freighter Chelsea 3 and that findings would come from the military prosecutor's office, which is investigating together with the military police. If Russian origin is proven, a protest note would most likely be handed to Russia's ambassador. He also asked: “What if the drone is Ukrainian?” and accused opposition leaders of jumping to conclusions.

Stoyanov said invoking Article 4 of the NATO treaty was not necessary for now, as Bulgaria had not been directly attacked. His ministry has proposed defence spending of 2.33% of GDP for 2027, though he doubted it would be approved. He ruled out a return of compulsory military service for at least 10 to 15 years.