BUCHAREST, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Romania will accelerate its development of surveillance capabilities and equipment to counter mines and drones in the Black Sea after a series of drone attacks on commercial ships off its coast, its top defence council said on Thursday.
At least seven cargo ships have been hit near the coasts of NATO members Romania and Bulgaria in the past two weeks, with some 30 sailors reported dead or missing. Romanian F-16 fighter jet pilots shot down two of the latest generation of Russian drones over Romanian territorial waters on Saturday.
NATO said on Tuesday it will send more maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the Black Sea.
• Romania's top defence council said latest ship attacks are direct consequences of Russia's aggression beyond Ukraine's borders.
• Threats to freedom of navigation and critical energy projects in the Black Sea pose a security crisis for Romania.
• The current risks require concrete measures to protect human lives, maintain free access to national ports, and ensure the security of energy facilities in the Exclusive Economic Zone.
• The top defence council said it will accelerate the development of capabilities for maritime surveillance, countering naval mines and intervening against drones illegally breaching national airspace and waters.
• Authorities will practice to improve the efficiency of their operational response.
• Romania will seek to improve cooperation with fellow NATO members Bulgaria and Turkey with whom it shares the Black Sea.
• "The Council members also analyzed ways to intensify coordination within NATO. This includes strengthening the deterrence and defense posture on the Eastern Flank and identifying new measures to respond to threats in the Black Sea region."
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Toby Chopra)
