NATO steps up surveillance of Black Sea after series of attacks on ships

The alliance has not yet named the country responsible for the series of attacks on merchant ships.

NATO will send additional maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the Black Sea. The decision was made after a series of deadly drone attacks on merchant ships in the region, Reuters reports.

The announcement came after the alliance’s main governing body, the North Atlantic Council, discussed security in the Black Sea at a meeting in Brussels with the participation of ambassadors from all 32 member countries.

In addition to the equipment, NATO countries have already sent or will send reconnaissance and forensic explosives analysis teams, an alliance spokesman said.

NATO maritime command centers are establishing real-time radar data exchange with shore stations in Constanta and Varna. The goal is to intercept low-altitude air targets before they enter shipping lanes.

The alliance did not name the country responsible for the attacks. Military analysts believe that they were “almost certainly carried out by Russia, but Moscow does not admit responsibility.”

The day before, USM wrote that due to the worsening security situation, insurance for flights to Black Sea ports had risen to $2.5 million.