On October 7, Borys Babin, an expert with our Association, commented to Ukrainian “Suspilne News” on the attacks carried out the previous day by the aggressor against vessels in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea.
It is worth recalling that on October 6, Russian military forces attacked the Togo-flagged vessel “Alfa Watan”, IMO 7510884 and the Palau-flagged vessel “Able”, IMO 9001136 in these waters; it is highly probable that these attacks were launched by Russia from the territory of occupied Crimea.
Professor Babin emphasized that these acts by the aggressor constitute a gross violation of international maritime and humanitarian law; he noted that an appropriate response could be pursued through the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and bodies responsible for international security, such as the OSCE.
Specifically, the Association’s expert pledged to raise this issue during the relevant discussion at the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.
Professor Babin also commented on statements made by Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev regarding the matter, specifically that Bulgarian authorities do not intend to invoke Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
The ARC expert recalled the Association’s investigations into Mr. Radev’s past ties to Russian intelligence services.
The expert also highlighted the legal grounds for a response to these attacks by flag states and affected crew members, involving the IMO and the International Labour Organization, as well as the possibility of utilizing regional mechanisms, such as the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). Professor Babin also emphasized the urgent need for EU and NATO Black Sea states to step up their response to the aforementioned Russian attacks within their territorial waters, contiguous zones, and economic zones.
Particular emphasis was placed on the role of Turkey, which, following the onset of full-scale Russian aggression and precisely as a result of it, is generating substantial additional revenue from the passage of all vessels through the Black Sea Straits; our Association has conducted a dedicated study on this matter.
