In an interview for Deutsche Welle, Dr. Rumena Filipova discussed the drone attacks in the Black Sea and what they reveal about Bulgaria’s exposure to hybrid threats. She said that the incident marks an escalation in attacks against Bulgaria and argued that the country is a weak link and an easy target for foreign malign influence, owing to the absence of a serious institutional response.
The discussion focused on several key issues:
- the escalation from earlier provocations, such as fallen drones, to far more serious attacks in Bulgarian maritime waters, and the lack of an institutional response that downplays incidents and fails to clearly name the perpetrator;
- Bulgaria’s cautious official messaging, which goes beyond a split between domestic and international audiences and raises a deeper question about the country’s geopolitical orientation, including the absence of any clear naming of the Russian threat;
- the contrast between the Baltic and Black Sea regions, where limited regional cooperation, the absence of a unified security system and the restrictions of the Montreux Convention leave Bulgaria and Romania to rely largely on their own capacities;
- the Black Sea mine countermeasures group, which serves an important but narrow purpose and does not close the broader gaps in naval defense, including the need for navy by modernization and closer coordination with Romania; and
- the contrast with Romania, which names the Russian threat clearly and has modernized its military further, while Bulgaria’s weak response raises questions among NATO and EU partners about its commitment to the Alliance.