European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is in Varna today, Tuesday 10 November, for talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev, on the second leg of her tour of the Black Sea region.

She will also visit the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in the Bulgarian port city, as Brussels steps up its response to drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Black Sea.

A tour shaped by attacks on shipping

The visit follows a series of drone attacks on commercial vessels off the Bulgarian and Romanian coasts that have heightened tensions along NATO's eastern flank. At least seven commercial vessels have been hit by drones in the Black Sea over the past month, killing two sailors, with at least 25 people still missing.

Concerns grew further on 6 November, when a drone was found washed ashore near Shabla on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. Romania has accused Russia of carrying out the strikes, while Bulgaria has not formally attributed the attacks, saying only that the drones came from an easterly direction.

The European Commission has said that around half of the hybrid incidents affecting Europe this year have hit Romania, Bulgaria and the Black Sea region.

What was agreed in Bucharest

Von der Leyen arrived in Romania on Monday 9 November, where she met President Nicusor Dan and Prime Minister Luca Niculescu in Bucharest. At a joint press conference she announced 50 million euros to speed up work on a Black Sea Maritime Security Hub, and a further 10 million euros for Romanian search and rescue operations.

She said freedom of navigation in the Black Sea must be restored and preserved, describing the sea as a vital trade route for Europe, for Ukraine's economy and for global food security. She also backed a ceasefire in the Black Sea and welcomed peace talks due to take place in Abu Dhabi on 10 and 11 November, with European participation.

What the Bulgaria leg will cover

In Varna, discussions are expected to focus on Black Sea security, the protection of maritime transport routes and energy infrastructure, and how the planned security hub — involving Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye — will work in practice.

The Commission has said the talks will also cover European defence investment, Moldova's path towards EU membership and negotiations over the bloc's next seven-year budget.

Von der Leyen is due to travel on to Antalya in Türkiye on 11 November to attend the COP31 climate summit, after a tour that has put the security of Europe's south-eastern flank at the centre of the EU agenda.