Rutte Says NATO Will Adjust Black Sea Defense Posture After Russian Drone Attacks on Commercial Ships

NATO will continue working with its Black Sea allies and adjust its deterrence and defense posture as needed after recent attacks on commercial shipping in the region, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a post on X on October 13.

Russia’s attacks on commercial vessels and port infrastructure in the Black Sea have repeatedly disrupted maritime trade and threatened export routes used to move Ukrainian grain and other goods to international markets.

Rutte said he spoke with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev about the latest attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

“I spoke with Bulgarian PM @RumenRadevPM about the latest attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea,” Rutte wrote.

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“NATO will continue to work closely with our Allies in the Black Sea. We have already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank and will continue to monitor the security environment, adjusting our deterrence and defence posture as needed,” he added.

Earlier, two commercial vessels were struck by drones in Bulgaria’s Exclusive Economic Zone in what was described as the first reported attack of its kind in the area.

More recently, two additional commercial vessels were hit near Bulgaria’s coast, with one later sinking. Bulgarian authorities pointed to Russia while investigating the attacks.

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