The European Union has released €1.24 billion for Ukraine to buy domestically manufactured drones, drone interceptors, ammunition and munitions. Attacks on shipping off Romania and Bulgaria have exposed gaps in Black Sea security. The funding supports Ukraine’s defence, while a leaked EU report points to shortcomings in member states’ own maritime capabilities.
Funding for Ukraine’s Defence
The European Commission announced the funding on Wednesday, as Russia pressed ahead with its full-scale invasion and stepped up air attacks. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the EU executive, said the money would help protect “people and infrastructure” against Russia’s “deliberate strategy of terror”. She said the disbursement would strengthen Ukraine’s defence industry and its ability to defend itself.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi said the allocation would go towards “our most urgent defence needs”. After 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”.
The €1.24 billion is part of the bloc’s Ukraine Support Loan, which provides €90 billion in funding from 2026-2027. Two thirds of the total has been 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 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, according to the article.
Attacks at Sea and Regional Security
Drone attacks along Romania and Bulgaria’s coast have sunk commercial vessels, set ships ablaze and killed civilians. On Tuesday, an attack about 130km off Bulgaria’s coast sank one merchant ship and damaged another. Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev called the attack “absolutely unacceptable”. He didn’t attribute blame, and an investigation was underway.
On Monday, a Turkish-owned cargo ship carrying Ukrainian grain caught fire and sank off Romania. Two people aboard were killed. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian drones attacked the vessel. Romanian Foreign Minister Oana-Silvia Țoiu described a deadly incident off Romania’s coast a day earlier as “a flagrant violation of international law”. Ursula von der Leyen condemned both incidents, saying attacks on civilian shipping were unacceptable and that the Black Sea situation was “increasingly concerning”.
The incidents came more than a year after the EU launched its Black Sea Security Strategy. The bloc unveiled the strategy in May 2025 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, strengthen coast-guard cooperation, analyse seabed sensor data and alert allies to potential dangers.
European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand said the policy had initiated 65 projects worth €200 million in the region. The European Maritime Safety Agency offered Romanian and Bulgarian authorities support on maritime safety and situational awareness. Romania and Bulgaria requested satellite imagery following the attacks, Wigand said, and the Commission was delivering it.
Defence Gaps and Capabilities
A leaked copy of the EU’s Annual Defence Readiness report says major shortfalls remain in European defence capabilities, particularly maritime warfare. The European Defence Agency prepared the report with contributions from the Commission and the European External Action Service. It assesses whether the 27 member states are on track for defence readiness by 2030.
EU governments plan to invest approximately €98.9 billion in maritime capabilities from 2024-2029. The report still identifies gaps in naval munitions and missile stockpiles, naval air and missile defence, long-range strike capabilities, and protection of seabed infrastructure. It recommends improving maritime awareness and investing in seabed protection, combat platforms and naval strike capabilities.
Mihai Sebastian Chihaia, a maritime security expert at the European Policy Centre, said strategies alone weren’t enough. “To really secure the Black Sea, you actually need capabilities,” he told Euronews, citing sensors and radars for intelligence-gathering operations. Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey have stressed that they are coordinating regional security efforts. Chihaia said a broader vision for the Black Sea’s future security architecture remained missing, and NATO had yet to produce one despite years of discussion.
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.