Attacks on civilian shipping in Black Sea are unacceptable, EU's von der Leyen says

FILE PHOTO: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference, during her visit to Skopje, North Macedonia October 2, 2026. REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski/File Photo

BRUSSELS, Oct 6 - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday that attacks on civilian shipping are unacceptable after civilian ships were hit in Bulgaria's economic zone in the Black Sea.

"Commercial ships – and innocent crews – are being targeted, with lives already lost at sea," she said.

While the circumstances of the incidents are being investigated, the situation in the Black Sea is increasingly concerning, von der Leyen added.

The crew of a merchant ship was missing on Tuesday after the vessel sank in the Black Sea off NATO member Bulgaria following a drone strike that Prime Minister Rumen Radev described as a gross violation of international law. REUTERS