Radio Varna, 15 October 2026
Table of contents
Summary
Vladimir Mitev’s interview with Radio Varna (15 October 2026) concerns Bulgaria and Romania’s responses to the escalation in the Black Sea
- Escalation and cooperation: The second wave of attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea (13 October 2026) is putting commercial shipping and insurance premiums at risk. This has intensified political dialogue and coordination between Bulgaria and Romania.
- Diplomatic initiatives: The two countries are seeking support from the EU, NATO and Turkey for a moratorium on hostilities and the use of drones in the Black Sea — a de-escalation initiative launched by Iliana Yotova and backed by France and Germany, according to Bulgarian media.
- Drone defence: Romania has the US-made mobile Merops system (with F-16s deployed in the event of incidents) and is negotiating for Slovakian radars and maritime systems, but does not yet have comprehensive coverage. Bulgaria is also planning new airspace control capabilities.
- Regional connectivity: The blog ‘The Bridge of Friendship’ examines the concept of the ‘Balkan Banana’ (linking Thessaloniki, Sofia, Plovdiv, Ruse, Bucharest and Timișoara) and the ‘Three Seas Initiative’. The focus is on the Romanian perspective, according to which Bulgaria is an indispensable partner in regional infrastructure.
Video with auto-generated English-language subtitles
Introduction (by The Bridge of Friendship)
On 15 October 2026, Radio Varna presenter Valeria Vassileva interviewed Vladimir Mitev regarding the escalation of the war in the Black Sea, during which ships were attacked near Bulgarian and Romanian territorial waters and within the special economic zones of both countries. Vladimir Mitev explained that this threat to commercial shipping in the region is bringing Bulgaria and Romania together in the defence sphere and prompting them to seek support at EU and NATO level. Vladimir Mitev also explained what steps Romania is taking to ensure anti-drone defence and what the latest article on his website will be about – the regional infrastructure projects that are turning Romania into a geopolitical hub.
Interview (by Radio Varna)
Valeria Vassileva:
We continue with a topic that directly affects security in our region — the tensions in the Black Sea and the way in which institutions in Bulgaria and neighbouring Romania are responding to the growing geopolitical challenges. Do Sofia and Bucharest share a common approach to security in the region, or do they continue to operate at different speeds? What are your observations?
We will now hear from our fellow journalist Vladimir Mitev — editor at the Romanian desk of ‘Radio Bulgaria’ and founder of the online platform ‘The Bridge of Friendship’. You follow developments in both countries closely. Thank you for agreeing to comment for Radio Varna.
Security in the Black Sea and the response from Sofia and Bucharest — that is the first focus.
Vladimir Mitev:
What we have been observing in recent days — following the second wave of attacks on civilian vessels in the Black Sea on 13 October — is that Bulgaria and Romania are drawing closer politically in the sphere of security and defence. There is clearly a common threat. There is a risk that civilian shipping in the Black Sea could come to a complete standstill, as it may become too dangerous for crews and too costly for shipowners due to rising insurance premiums.
In my view, this is leading to a situation where it appears that the traditional reserve which Romania had shown towards the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Rumen Radev, in recent months seems to be fading. We can see that the outgoing Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan has held talks with him, whilst, on the other hand, Romanian President Nicușor Dan has also held talks with Iliana Yotova.
The result of these discussions is that today, at the European Council summit, there will be a special agenda item on the Black Sea and the situation there. Bulgaria and Romania’s interest in securing European support for the initiative to impose a moratorium on hostilities and the use of drones in the Black Sea will also be discussed. [It has been reported in our media that] she enjoys the support of both France and Germany, whilst it is important to seek Turkey’s support in this regard as well.
This is a vision for de-escalation in the Black Sea, which, in my view, Iliana Yotova herself has been promoting recently. Of course, there are no signs of such de-escalation as yet — rather, there are signs to the contrary.
In any case, Europe must demonstrate coordination and unity — both between Bulgaria and Romania and at the European level in general — in order to safeguard the economic interests and security of both countries and of the entire European Union in the Black Sea.
Valeria Vassileva:
In fact, both Bulgaria and Romania are — as the military terminology puts it — a flank of the European Union; on its external and maritime borders. This should, after all, imply a strong commitment from the European institutions. In your view, is this a matter of diplomacy, or has it now reached a practical stage where these measures require better coordination between military institutions – greater alignment of actions, surveillance and defence?
Bulgaria plans to deploy new forces and capabilities to control the skies over the Black Sea as far as possible. Is there a similar response in Romania? Should military and defence relations be better coordinated, rather than just diplomatic ones?
Vladimir Mitev:
I approach these topics as a journalist, not as a defence or security expert, but of course I interview such experts and liaise with them as far as possible in both countries. From what they share, I get the impression that Romania seems to be slightly more advanced in terms of drone defence, as it has an operational system — called Merops — which has been provided by the US as part of their strategic partnership. At present, it has been provided free of charge, whilst the costs of its operation are covered by the Romanian side. There are discussions about NATO taking control of it. It should be noted that the system is mobile and can be mounted on a pick-up truck. However, it does not cover the entire territory of the country; many more systems are needed, and at this stage Romania still does not have a comprehensive solution.
We see that when drones enter Romanian territory, F-16 fighter jets are scrambled. Romania is negotiating with various countries to acquire radars and other anti-drone systems. For example, as far as we understand, the supply of more sophisticated radars from Slovakia is under discussion. I believe work is also underway on a system to counter drones at sea — that is, to counter underwater drones.
Valeria Vassileva:
A coastal defence system, yes.
Vladimir Mitev:
So work is being done on this issue in both Romania and Bulgaria.
It seems to me that Romania is slightly ahead, but in my view that is not all that important. What matters is the direction. Given that such a threat exists, I assume that measures will be taken swiftly and that the risk and vulnerability will not be allowed to become too great.
Another thing I’ve learnt from my interviews and informal conversations is that Turkey’s role will be significant for what lies ahead — for this attempt at de-escalation in the Black Sea. Turkey has a more complex relationship with Russia.
Valeria Vassileva:
Slightly different from the European Union’s position.
Vladimir Mitev:
Turkey is maintaining its economic relations with Russia. Some time ago, it also acted as a mediator in the war in Ukraine. So it remains to be seen how these matters will develop at NATO level, not just within the European Union.
Turkey is a member of NATO, and I suppose that what lies ahead today within the European institutions – and, in principle, at NATO level – is closer coordination and consultation. As far as I am aware, the European Union has a Black Sea strategy, drawn up in 2025. On the other hand, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has indicated that, if necessary, there will be changes to NATO’s approach to the Black Sea region.
Clearly, the situation is such that both NATO and the European Union are facing a heightened level of threat in the Black Sea region, and we await their response.
Valeria Vassileva:
What is the final topic on ‘The Bridge of Friendship’? Let’s end on a positive note regarding the border between Bulgaria and Romania.
Vladimir Mitev:
Today I’ll be publishing an article on regional cooperation between Bulgaria, Romania and Greece. The point is that, in recent weeks, the idea of the so-called ‘Balkan banana’ has appeared in the Greek media. Perhaps our listeners are aware that there is a theory according to which the EU is a community of industrially and infrastructurally linked regions that form the shape of a banana. The core of the EU is also such a ‘banana’, encompassing the Ruhr Valley, part of France and northern Italy.
Valeria Vassileva:
An interesting metaphor.
Vladimir Mitev:
What’s interesting is that the idea is now being put forward that there is also a ‘Balkan banana’, which starts in Thessaloniki, passes through Sofia and Plovdiv, and encompasses Bucharest, Ruse, Giurgiu, Ploiești and Timișoara. Of course, this is a rather loose interpretation of the geography. I asked an acquaintance of mine — a Romanian foreign policy expert — to comment on this idea, so that we could gain an insight into the Romanian perspective on infrastructure connectivity in our region.
There are, in fact, at least two such infrastructure connectivity initiatives. One is between Greece, Romania and Bulgaria, whilst the other is the so-called ‘Three Seas’ initiative, which is more closely linked to Poland and Central Europe as a whole. Very soon — probably today — I will publish the text of his speech. I think it will be interesting to see how, increasingly, Bulgaria is viewed in Romania as an indispensable country. I believe he uses precisely this expression when discussing the development of infrastructure links in the region.
It is significant that the Romanians are saying this, because here in Bulgaria the prevailing view for a long time seemed to be that we are not sufficiently connected to Romania and that this desire for infrastructure links is being ignored.
Valeria Vassileva:
Thank you very much for the conversation. An interesting topic. We look forward to reading about it on the ‘Bridge of Friendship’ blog, which our colleague – the journalist Vladimir Mitev – maintains. It is an accessible, open source of information featuring original articles on various aspects of the situation in the Balkans.
Photo: (source: The Bridge of Friendship, via Gemini)
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