Black Sea attacks: Parliament demands action to protect EU’s eastern flank
Following attacks that sank three merchant ships and set others ablaze in Romanian and Bulgarian waters this month, leaving seafarers killed, injured or missing, the European Parliament today adopted a resolution proposed by Renew Europe Group on Russian strikes against Black Sea shipping.
We condemn these Russian attacks in the strongest terms and offer our deepest condolences to the families of the seafarers killed. We stress that Russia is solely responsible for destabilising security in the Black Sea and call for tougher sanctions on Russia and the individuals and organisations who took park in these attacks. Renew Europe urges the EU institutions and Member States to implement the EU’s Strategic Approach to the Black Sea region, make the Black Sea Maritime Security Hubs in Constanța and Varna operational, and establish a European Sky Shield over the Black Sea. We also call for a stronger NATO presence, and more counter-drone systems along the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts.
“Civilian commercial vessels are being attacked by drones either close to EU territorial waters -namely those of Romania and Bulgaria -or even IN Romanian territorial waters. I believe the time for words has passed- the EU and NATO must act urgently. The maritime security center in Romania and Bulgaria can wait no longer.
I ask the Commission to release the funds yesterday, not now. I ask the allied states to protect maritime transport in the Black Sea by any means necessary. I congratulate the Romanian and Spanish pilots shooting down Russian drones over the Black Sea, who are protecting our entire Union. For them and for every citizen, the Union must deliver.
Dan BarnaRenew Europe MEP, Romania, Uniunea Salvați România
”, Renew Vice-president Dan Barna commented after the vote.
Russia’s missile and drone campaign against Ukraine’s ports, merchant ships and border crossings has intensified sharply since mid-2026. By weaponising trade disruption, these attacks create consequences and security risks that reach far beyond the region. Today’s resolution follows recent European Council conclusions, in which EU leaders condemned attacks on civilian ships in Bulgarian and Romanian waters as unacceptable and a serious violation of international law.
Renew Europe stresses that Russia must not be allowed to turn the Black Sea into a zone of insecurity, intimidation and impunity. It calls on NATO to respond to Bulgaria’s and Romania’s requests by strengthening air, maritime and subsea surveillance, and on Member States to take tougher action, together with partners, against Russia’s shadow fleet in the Black Sea.
Nikola Minchev, head of the Bulgarian delegation in Renew Europe, said:
“The consequences of the recent attacks go beyond the tragic incidents. These deliberate actions put the security of maritime routes at risk and add economic pressure on Europe's entire eastern flank. The goal is clear: to hit Ukraine's exports, but also to plant a sense of immediate danger in the minds of more European citizens, weaken their willingness to support the victim of this war, and breed resignation to peace through capitulation.
It is high time that Bulgaria’s president and prime minister stopped closing their eyes to who the aggressor in this war is, and found the courage to name Russia clearly and unequivocally. Given how geopolitical relations are developing, Europe must invest in its common defence more than ever, and the Member States must take an active part in this process. And if we paid attention in history class, we must stand just as firmly for the idea of a just peace and reject empty talk of peace through capitulation.”
Nikola MinchevRenew Europe MEP, Bulgaria, We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria
The disruption of export routes in the Black Sea and along the Danube puts global agricultural supply chains, food prices and food security at risk, particularly in import-dependent countries across Africa and the Middle East.
Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Renew MEP Ilhan Kychuk added:
“Security in the Black Sea is an integral part of the European Union’s security. Europe must take immediate and concrete action to protect human life, regional stability, and food security amid the escalation, which is also affecting shipping in the Black Sea. Bulgarian and Romanian citizens must not be left to face this crises alone. Urgent economic support is needed. All available instruments under the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework must be mobilised, despite the constraints on available resources.
The possibilities offered by the Common Agricultural Policy should also be explored, as funding remains available under this framework. Bulgarian and Romanian citizens, who are directly exposed to the consequences of instability in the Black Sea region, must not be left to bear the burden of this crisis alone. The European Union must stand by them and provide the necessary support. “
Ilhan KyuchyukRenew Europe MEP, Bulgaria