The European Commission called on Russia to cease attacks on ships in the Black Sea; Romania and Bulgaria offered satellite support.

Spokesperson for the European Commission, Kristian Wigand, October 7, in Brussels, called on Russia to cease all actions that threaten international shipping and the lives of seafarers, and to return to compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The incident occurred following drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea. On October 6, drones attacked two ships in the exclusive economic zone of Bulgaria, one of which sank. Prior to this, on October 5, a drone reportedly shot down a vessel near the coast of Romania.

Against this backdrop, the European Maritime Safety Agency has offered support to the governments of Romania and Bulgaria, in line with its role in ensuring maritime safety and situational awareness at the European level. Satellite data is intended to help both countries obtain more information about the situation in the maritime areas.

Previously, it was reported that Russian military forces attacked the Turkish grain carrier Royad Mammadov, which was transporting Ukrainian corn; the vessel sank off the coast of Romania, and two crew members were killed. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sych called the attack particularly cynical, as it occurred amid Turkey's diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation in the Black Sea. According to him, Ukraine had repeatedly offered specific steps to improve the safety of civilian shipping, but Russia continues to expand the geography of its attacks.