Security in the Black Sea region: is Bulgaria the weak link in Europe's defense against threats from Russia?

Although security in the Baltic Sea and the threat of Russian provocation there are the subject of regular public debate, security in the Black Sea is a subject that sometimes gets less attention in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine even though the Black Sea is to a degree an active frontline in the war. There are multiple reasons why the Black Sea's security is such a complex issue, but two incidents in recent days have highlighted just how precarious the situation there is. On October 6, two cargo ships — the Alfa Watan and the Able — were struck by drones in the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The Alfa Watan sank, and its crew has not been recovered.