Bulgaria will send a diplomatic note once evidence has been established identifying those behind the drone attack in the country’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea, President Iliana Iotova said in an interview for bTV. Bulgaria will hold diplomatic talks with its partners and take any other necessary steps in response to the incident, as the Consultative Council for National Security (CCNS) strongly condemned the attack, she added.
Iotova stressed that there is still no conclusive evidence as to the origin of the drones, and no wreckage has been found. She added that Bulgaria had requested assistance from the European Maritime Safety Agency to secure an underwater drone to survey the sunken vessel.
Asked about the CCNS decision not to invoke Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, Iotova said the provision does not foresee the possibility for negotiations. “All participants at the CCNS meeting were convinced that Bulgaria should not invoke the provision,” she added. “Attacks on vessels in the Black Sea have increased significantly, and Bulgaria must be careful about when it invokes Article 4 of the Alliance’s founding treaty to avoid undermining the provision’s significance,” the President explained.
Iotova said the CCNS called on the EU to provide greater clarity in its newly adopted Black Sea strategy, strengthen the role of the coordination centre in Varna and Constanta, define the tasks of the Black Sea hub more clearly, and allow Bulgaria to access the EU’s video surveillance systems at any time.
“The Coalition of the Willing initially had different objectives and a broader remit, but its scope was subsequently narrowed to preparing military contingents to deploy to Ukraine after a peace agreement is reached, with the aim of guaranteeing peace,” Iotova said. She added that Bulgaria could play a very active role in a coalition for peace. According to the President, consultations and opportunities for joint action between Bulgaria, Romania and Turkiye are needed, along with discussions on a possible moratorium on hostilities in the region.
The head of State said she was considering three possible scenarios for the course of the war in Ukraine. The first involves a policy of taking small steps; the second is a ceasefire based on a European proposal drawn up jointly with Ukraine and presented to Russia; and the third is the conclusion of a comprehensive peace agreement.
Commenting on the deal between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Russian diesel supplies, Iotova said the volumes under discussion were relatively small in the context of the global energy market. She described the arrangement as a temporary easing of sanctions.
The President said she had been unaware of the visit to Bulgaria by Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Diplomacy is a complex matter, she said, adding that some things are shared discreetly, while others become more widely known.
Asked who the aggressor is in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Iotova replied that there is now a full-scale war being fought in both directions, with enormous loss of life and innocent victims.
Regarding the footage from prison featuring Ognyan Atanasov, known as the “Petrich Escobar”, which had been made public, Iotova said she had watched it and had asked why it had not been shown to her earlier. She said she had no reason to question who had appointed the medical commission or the authenticity of the doctors’ signatures, as the decision had been based solely on medical grounds. An investigation is underway to address the questions raised about his condition, she added. Iotova did not rule out changes to the legal framework governing pardons.
Bulgaria Will Issue Diplomatic Note Once Evidence of Black Sea Attacks Has Been Established, President Iotova Says 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-12 08:03:00
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BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-10-12 08:03:00
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