EU to establish maritime security hub in Black Sea

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the establishment of a new Black Sea Maritime Security Hub to counter rising drone attacks against commercial vessels. The initiative, announced during her visits to Bucharest and Sofia, involves twin cooperation centers in Constanta, Romania, and Varna, Bulgaria. The project is expected to be operational by the first half of 2027, focusing on maritime surveillance, protection of critical infrastructure such as undersea cables, and defense against hybrid and cyber threats using Copernicus satellite data.

The European Union intends to allocate 50 million euros for regional security enhancements. Additionally, 10 million euros will be provided to both Romania and Bulgaria respectively to support search and rescue operations. This decision follows a series of incidents in October where drone strikes on commercial ships off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria resulted in over 30 casualties or missing persons. While Bucharest and Sofia have expressed suspicions regarding Russian involvement, the Bulgarian government has not issued a formal accusation due to a lack of concrete evidence. The move aims to stabilize regional navigation and strengthen the EU’s influence in the area following the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.