European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has condemned attacks on civilian shipping in the Black Sea after commercial vessels were hit in Bulgaria’s economic zone.
Von der Leyen described the attacks as unacceptable, warning that innocent crew members were being put at risk as tensions in the strategically important waters continue to rise.
“Commercial ships – and innocent crews – are being targeted, with lives already lost at sea,” she said.
The European Commission president said investigations were still ongoing to establish exactly what happened in the incidents.
However, she expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in the Black Sea, saying the developments were becoming increasingly worrying.
The comments came after a merchant vessel sank in the Black Sea off the coast of Bulgaria, a NATO member, following what was described as a drone strike.
The vessel’s crew remained unaccounted for on Tuesday after the ship went down in waters within Bulgaria’s economic zone.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev described the incident as a serious violation of international law.
The latest developments have raised further concerns over the safety of civilian vessels and their crews operating in the Black Sea, with authorities continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attacks.
Von der Leyen stressed that civilian commercial shipping should not be targeted, particularly when such incidents can put the lives of crews at risk.
