site.btaPrime Minister Denkov: No Signs of Russia's Black Sea Exercise Posing Threat to Bulgarian Shipping, Citizens

"There are no indications whatsoever that a new threat has emerged with regard to Bulgarian shipping and citizens," Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov told journalists here on Friday, commenting on military exercises in the Black Sea announced by Russia.

"Exercises of this type follow a standard procedure. In this case, it could be speculated how far the exercise, as announced, is related to the grain lane because the area they declared is in immediate vicinity to the grain lane," the head of government said, referring to a humanitarian grain lane established by the UN, Turkiye, Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 under an initiative that is expiring at the end of this month.

On July 27, the Bulgarian Defence Ministry said that Russia had sent public notification about the establishment of a temporary warning area in the Black Sea for the duration of military exercises. The Ministry told BTA that the zone includes parts of Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone but "there is no reason for concern and the exercise will be conducted away from Bulgaria's territorial waters".

On July 26, NATO issued a press release saying that "Russia's new warning area in the Black Sea, within Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, has created new risks for miscalculation and escalation, as well as serious impediments to freedom of navigation." Approached by BTA for comment, the Bulgarian Defence Ministry said that while "these actions by Russia do not constitute formal violation of the international rules, they are not considered good practice and Bulgaria and its allies continue their regular surveillance activity in the NATO area of responsibility in keeping with the decision of the Alliance".