Von der Leyen to visit Black Sea amid deadly drone attacks
The trip comes after at least seven commercial vessels were reportedly struck by drones that many have linked to Russia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to travel to Bulgaria and Romania next week, following a string of drone attacks on vessels in the Black Sea. The attacks, which have been blamed on Russia by Romania, have made the Black Sea the world's deadliest shipping route. At least seven commercial vessels have been hit by drones so far this month, resulting in two sailor deaths and 25 missing.
Von der Leyen will visit both countries prior to attending the COP climate summit in Turkey. She is expected to meet with Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Prime Minister Luca Niculescu in Bucharest on Monday, and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Varna on Tuesday. Von der Leyen will also tour the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy.
The heightened security concerns have prompted NATO allies to increase surveillance over the Black Sea, with Italian, British, and American reconnaissance aircraft conducting simultaneous missions in the region on Tuesday.
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