Romania proposes to expand the joint Black Sea demining mission with Bulgaria and Turkey to strengthen the protection of energy infrastructure and trade routes from threats from Russia. This was stated by Romanian Defense Minister Ionuț Moșteanu in an interview with Reuters, as reported by UNN.
Details
According to the minister, NATO allies Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey should expand the joint Black Sea demining group with new patrols to protect energy infrastructure and trade routes from possible Russian attacks.
The project should be expanded in the direction of patrolling in the coming years. We will discuss this with our allies in the near future
He emphasized that the Black Sea will remain an active threat zone from Russia, so it is necessary to deter the aggressor and ensure the protection of energy and freedom of navigation.
The Black Sea… will remain a battlefield for Russia. We must confront (Russia) and protect our interests, namely energy infrastructure, maritime trade, and freedom of navigation. These are our goals, and they will be protected
As Reuters writes, Romania has a 650-kilometer land border with Ukraine, and during the war, fragments of Russian drones repeatedly fell on its territory. Moșteanu mentioned "almost daily" attempts to jam GPS signals in the Black Sea. He stated that Russia is likely behind this, which denies such accusations.
Recall
The European Union plans to create a maritime security center in the Black Sea to monitor threats and protect the infrastructure of the Black Sea region. Information will be transmitted to Ukraine and other countries in the region.