Black Sea drone attacks expose gaps in Europe's defences

After a Turkish-owned cargo ship was sunk off Romania on October 5, killing two, and a ship was sunk and another damaged off Bulgaria the next day, leaving ten sailors missing there, a leaked EU defence readiness report points to serious gaps in naval munitions, air defence and protection of seabed infrastructure. The Commission has condemned both attacks and cites 65 projects worth 200 million euros under the EU's Black Sea Security Strategy, while Romania and Bulgaria are building a joint maritime security hub in the ports of Constanța and Varna. An expert at the European Policy Centre says the region lacks sensors and radar above all, not just strategy papers.

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