Rutte said on X he had spoken to Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev about the latest attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. NATO would keep monitoring the security situation and adjust its deterrence and defence measures if needed, he said.
Five merchant ships have been damaged by drone strikes since the start of October off the coasts of Romania and Bulgaria, both NATO members.
Romanian President Nicusor Dan, after speaking to Rutte on Thursday, said the attacks were a Russian attempt to destabilise NATO’s eastern flank and weaken support for Ukraine.
Dan did not give details of the attacks, some of which occurred in Romanian territorial waters, saying more information would be released once investigations were completed.
(jh)
Source: PAP