NATO to send patrol aircraft, radars and drones to Black Sea after ship attacks
Alliance to add surveillance aircraft, radar and forensic teams after a series of drone strikes on merchant vessels
NATO announced it will deploy additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and unmanned aerial vehicles to the Black Sea after a string of deadly drone strikes on commercial vessels in the area.
Allied assets, intelligence and forensics to be sent
Allied officials said the reinforcement follows a meeting of NATO ambassadors in the North Atlantic Council at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. The move includes surveillance and reconnaissance support as well as teams and equipment for forensic explosive analysis.
"Alongside aircraft, drones and radar systems, NATO member countries have sent or will send intelligence officers and teams to carry out forensic explosive analysis," said Colonel Martin L. O'Donel, NATO’s military spokesman.
The alliance has not publicly assigned responsibility for the recent wave of attacks, which military analysts say were very likely carried out by Russia in connection with its war in Ukraine; Moscow has denied responsibility. NATO spokesperson Allison Hart wrote that the alliance has strengthened its posture along the eastern flank and will remain united to protect its population of one billion.
In separate developments, seven sailors were reported missing after drones struck two chemical tankers near the Romanian coast last week, igniting fires on board. The two tankers had been anchored near the Sulina channel, the waterway that links the Danube with the Black Sea and serves as an export route for Ukraine.
Over the past ten days at least five other commercial ships were hit close to the coasts of Romania and neighboring Bulgaria, a NATO member, with at least 23 sailors reported missing or dead. Bulgaria has asked NATO to station combat aircraft and counter-drone systems on its territory amid rising concern.
Photo: press material from the event
