NATO said it would send more support to the Black Sea after drone attacks on ships off Bulgaria and Romania, as threats to shipping raised concern over Ukrainian grain exports.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said six attacks involving suspected Russian drones had occurred over 10 days. She accused the Kremlin of trying to cut Ukraine’s grain export revenue and said the strikes added pressure to global food supplies. Droughts in several regions and the war in the Middle East were already straining supplies, she said.
Following an Oct. 20 meeting of alliance ambassadors in Brussels, NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said the alliance would send additional assets for surveillance, reconnaissance and forensic support in the region.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said a U.S. P-8 Poseidon had begun reconnaissance patrols over the Black Sea after Bulgaria requested help. He said the country expected further assistance from allies.
More than 20 sailors were missing in the Black Sea region, AFP reported. Romanian officials did not link an earlier tanker fire off their coast to a drone attack.
In an earlier Black Sea incident, Romania downed two drones over its waters on Oct. 17. Romania’s Ministry of National Defence said both drones entered its airspace near Sulina before F-16 pilots destroyed them.
