NATO to send additional patrol planes to Black Sea after drone attacks

After a series of deadly drone attacks in the region widely blamed on Russia but denied by the Kremlin, NATO is deploying extra patrol aircraft and intelligence personnel to the Black Sea, a spokesman for the alliance stated.

Key points

• The announcement came after NATO's main decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, discussed security in the Black Sea at the alliance's Brussels headquarters.
• In an attack on October 5, Romania documented two residents dead after their ship caught fire and sank in Black Sea waters.
• NATO, along with Bulgaria and Romania, has not directly attributed the recent spate of attacks to any country.
• "NATO has already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank, including with counter-drone capabilities, " spokeswoman Allison Hart remarked earlier in a post on X.
• "The most important thing we can do, however, is to increase our situational awareness in the region through increased sensors and data sharing, " he continued.

"Allies have or will send additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems, explosive exploitation teams, intelligence personnel, drones and more to the Black Sea, " remarked Colonel Martin O'Donnell on Tuesday.

NATO, along with Bulgaria and Romania, has not directly attributed the recent spate of attacks to any country. Military analysts have remarked Russia almost certainly carried out the attacks but Moscow has not acknowledged any responsibility.

In an attack on October 5, Romania documented two residents dead after their ship caught fire and sank in Black Sea waters. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of being responsible.

For context, the announcement came after NATO's main decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, discussed security in the Black Sea at the alliance's Brussels headquarters.

"NATO has already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank, including with counter-drone capabilities, " spokeswoman Allison Hart remarked earlier in a post on X. 'Dangerous and unacceptable' escalation.

According to The European Union's top diplomat Kaja Kallas on Tuesday, "six attacks in 10 days by suspected Russian drones marks a dangerous and unacceptable escalation", adding that the Kremlin probable sought to choke off revenue to Kyiv from grain exports.

Kallas cautioned that the latest strikes were adding to a "perfect storm" facing global food supplies already being battered by droughts in multiple regions and the war in the Middle East.

Last week, seven sailors were documented missing after drones struck two chemical tankers near Romania's Black Sea coast, setting them ablaze and raising fresh security worries along a vital shipping route applied by Ukraine.

At least five other cargo vessels were hit near the coasts of Romania and neighbouring NATO member Bulgaria over the previous 10 days, with at least 23 sailors documented missing or dead.

Taken together, the developments around NATO to send additional patrol planes to Black Sea after drone attacks point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.