Minister Peev: Bulgaria to get a sea search-and-rescue vessel by end-2029
Technical specifications are due in early 2027. The minister does not rule out that the drones used against ships were made in a third country.
Graphic: TERRA WORLD NEWS (own graphic based on the sources listed)
Bulgaria is expected to have a ship for search and rescue of seafarers by the end of 2029, Transport Minister Georgi Peev told NOVA. The technical specifications are due in early 2027, when the procurement procedure will also begin.
Specifications for a larger vessel of this type will be drawn up in the 2028–2034 funding period, and Bulgaria will seek EU funding for it. Peev said it is possible that the drones that hit ships in the Black Sea were produced in a third country rather than in Ukraine or Russia.
The sunken ship lies at a depth of about 2,000 metres, and there is currently no data on leaks or a risk of pollution, the minister said. All available means were used in the search for the missing seafarers, Peev said, but he sees no realistic chance of finding survivors.