The European Union has released €1.24 billion for Ukraine to buy domestically manufactured drones, drone interceptors, drone ammunition and munitions, as attacks on shipping off Romania and Bulgaria expose risks to Black Sea security. The European Commission announced the funding on Wednesday. Two thirds of the EU’s €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan for 2026-2027 are earmarked for military and defence needs.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU executive, said the latest payment would help protect “people and infrastructure” against Russia’s “deliberate strategy of terror”. “Today's disbursement will help strengthen Ukraine's defence industry. And Ukraine's ability to defend itself,” she said.
Drones and defence funding
Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said the money would go towards “our most urgent defence needs”. After deadly attacks in Ukraine's Chernihiv region and the cities of Dnipro and Kremenchuk on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “air defence packages for us right now are a vital necessity”.
Brussels plans to disperse €28.3 billion in 2026 to support Ukraine, with further defence funding releases planned in the coming weeks. Russia’s aerial campaign in recent weeks has kept Kyiv on near-constant alert and disrupted daily life.
The funding announcement came as drone attacks along Romania and Bulgaria’s coast renewed scrutiny of Europe’s ability to protect Black Sea shipping and critical infrastructure. On Tuesday, a drone attack about 130km off Bulgaria’s coast sank one merchant ship and damaged another. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev called the attack “absolutely unacceptable” but didn’t attribute blame. Authorities were investigating.
A Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying Ukrainian grain caught fire and sank off Romania on Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian drones attacked the vessel. Two people aboard were killed. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu described a deadly incident off Romania’s coast a day earlier as “a flagrant violation of international law”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned both incidents, saying: “The situation in the Black Sea is increasingly concerning. Attacks on civilian shipping are unacceptable.”
Black Sea security plans
The incidents followed the EU’s launch of a strategy to strengthen Black Sea security. When the Black Sea Security Strategy was unveiled in May 2025, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine was causing spillover effects across the region. She said the EU aimed to boost cooperation against cyberattacks, disinformation and other hostile actions, adding that “recurring airspace violations and attacks on ports and shipping lanes highlight this reality”.
The strategy aims to secure the maritime corridor and protect critical infrastructure, including offshore installations and subsea cables. It also proposed a Black Sea Maritime Security Hub to coordinate support, increase coast-guard cooperation, analyse seabed sensor data and alert allies to potential dangers and incoming threats.
European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand said the policy had initiated 65 projects worth €200 million in the region. The European Maritime Safety Agency offered support to Romanian and Bulgarian authorities on maritime safety and situational awareness. “Romania and Bulgaria requested satellite imagery to enhance situational awareness following the attacks, and we are currently delivering the shots,” Wigand said.
After the Bulgarian incident, Romania’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that the hub would be located in Constanța and Varna, the countries’ main ports. A European Commission report on implementation of the strategy said Romania and Bulgaria had jointly developed a concept for the hub to counter complex hybrid threats.
Gaps in maritime capability
A leaked copy of the EU’s Annual Defence Readiness report identifies shortfalls in European defence capabilities, particularly in maritime warfare. The European Defence Agency prepared the report with contributions from the Commission and the EU’s foreign policy unit, the European External Action Service. It assesses whether the 27 member states are on track to achieve defence readiness by 2030.
EU governments plan to invest approximately €98.9 billion in maritime capabilities from 2024-2029. The report says “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 recommends improving maritime awareness and investing in seabed protection, while balancing investment in large combat platforms with naval strike capabilities.
Mihai Sebastian Chihaia, a maritime security expert at the European Policy Centre, said strategies alone weren’t enough. He cited sensors and radars as examples of intelligence-gathering capabilities needed to secure the Black Sea. Chihaia said NATO could develop a dedicated strategy for the region, but a broader vision for its future security architecture was still missing. “This hasn't happened,” he said.
Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said Bulgaria and Romania “play a crucial role to defend our eastern flank”. The two countries are receiving a combined €20 billion under the Security Action For Europe defence loan programme.