Brussels released €1.24 billion on Wednesday for Ukraine to buy domestically made drones, drone interceptors, drone ammunition and munitions. Within 24 hours, a more uncomfortable question had surfaced: can Europe defend its own waters?
The European Commission announced the disbursement as Russia continues its full-scale invasion and escalates its air attacks. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU executive, said the money would help protect “people and infrastructure” in Ukraine against Russia’s “deliberate strategy of terror.” She added: “Today’s disbursement will help strengthen Ukraine’s defence industry. And Ukraine’s ability to defend itself.”
Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi welcomed the funding, saying it would go towards “our most urgent defence needs.” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke bluntly after deadly attacks on Wednesday in the Chernihiv region and the cities of Dnipro and Kremenchuk. “Air defence packages for us right now are a vital necessity,” he said.
The Fiscal Picture
The money comes from the bloc’s Ukraine Support Loan, worth a total of €90 billion across 2026-2027. Two thirds is earmarked for Ukraine’s military and defence needs. Brussels plans to disperse €28.3 billion in 2026 to support the country’s security, with further defence releases promised in the coming weeks.
These are large, open-ended commitments for taxpayers in 27 member states. National capitals will scrutinise the spending conditions and who ultimately carries the bill as releases continue. Russia’s increasingly aggressive aerial campaign has kept Kyiv on near-constant alert and disrupted daily life, which explains the urgency. The exposure remains just as large.
Security Dimension: The Black Sea Next Door
The war isn’t staying inside Ukraine’s borders. Drone attacks along the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts have sunk commercial vessels, set ships ablaze and killed civilians. On Monday, a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying Ukrainian grain caught fire and sank off Romania. Zelenskyy said Russian drones attacked the vessel. Two people aboard were killed.
On Tuesday, a drone attack about 130km off Bulgaria’s coast sank one merchant ship and damaged another. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev called it “absolutely unacceptable.” He didn’t attribute blame, and investigators are examining the incident. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu described the deadly incident off Romania’s coast as “a flagrant violation of international law.” Von der Leyen condemned both incidents: “The situation in the Black Sea is increasingly concerning. Attacks on civilian shipping are unacceptable.”
The attacks came more than a year after the EU launched its Black Sea Security Strategy in May 2025. Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, said then that the region was feeling spillover from Russia’s invasion. “The Black Sea region is the prime target for hybrid actions,” she said, adding that “recurring airspace violations and attacks on ports and shipping lanes highlight this reality.” The strategy promised a Black Sea Maritime Security Hub to coordinate support, boost coast-guard cooperation, analyse seabed sensor data and warn allies of incoming threats.
Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand said 65 projects worth €200 million had begun under the policy. He said Romania and Bulgaria had requested satellite imagery after the attacks and that the Commission was delivering it. Romania’s foreign minister said on Tuesday the hub, led by the two countries, will operate from their main ports, Constanța and Varna.
What Reform Looks Like: Capabilities Over Strategies
A leaked copy of the EU’s Annual Defence Readiness report, prepared by the European Defence Agency, shows major shortfalls in European defence capabilities, especially at sea. EU governments plan to invest about €98.9 billion in maritime capabilities from 2024-2029, yet the report still flags deficiencies. “Critical gaps also remain in naval munitions and missile stockpiles, naval Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD), long-range strike capabilities, and the protection of seabed infrastructure,” it says.
Mihai Sebastian Chihaia, a maritime security expert at the European Policy Centre, said the Black Sea had received too little attention in Europe’s defence debate. “We have quite a few strategies, we have quite a few directions, but to really secure the Black Sea, you actually need capabilities,” he told Euronews. He said NATO, the cornerstone of European collective defence, could develop a dedicated Black Sea strategy, but it hasn’t, despite years of discussion: “This hasn’t happened.”
Chihaia saw the Commission’s role as incentive and coordination, potentially through the SAFE defence loan programme. Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said Bulgaria and Romania “play a crucial role to defend our eastern flank” and are receiving a combined €20 billion under SAFE.
Why This Matters:
Europe is paying for Ukraine’s drones while its own coastline remains exposed. The leaked readiness report and Chihaia’s warning point the same way: money and strategy documents haven’t yet produced the sensors, radars, munitions and naval strike capacity that actually deter attacks. For taxpayers, the test is delivery, not announcements. Frontline states such as Romania and Bulgaria have the most at stake and the clearest claim to lead, with Brussels coordinating rather than directing. NATO’s missing Black Sea vision is a gap national governments can press to close. Defence readiness by 2030 depends on spending that turns into hardware.