The capsized ship Horiv, which was hit off Constanta, is drifting towards Bulgarian waters. The navy and the transport ministry are tracking it and will act if needed, defence minister Dimitar Stoyanov said.

"We have a new situation with the ship Horiv, which is drifting and entering our territorial sea," Stoyanov told BNT. He said the ship is already in Bulgaria's economic zone.

The defence ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey meet in Sofia today after attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea. A week or two ago, drones hit ships in the economic zone, in the territorial sea and in the zone next to it. Stoyanov invited his counterparts and thanked them for accepting so quickly.

Bulgaria is represented by Stoyanov and chief of defence Adm Emil Eftimov. Romania sends defence minister Stefan-Radu Oprea and deputy chief of defence Lt Gen Dragos-Dumitru Iacob. Turkey sends minister Yasar Guler and chief of defence Gen Selcuk Bayraktaroglu. They lead the three delegations.

The three countries aim to agree on joint action over the situation in the Black Sea. Bulgaria will propose closer coordination. "I think there must be a coordination mechanism between the three countries, so that we can react even faster in any such situation," Stoyanov said. He said freedom of navigation and security in the region are in the interest of all three.

Political statements and military proposals are ready for discussion. The countries are due to issue a joint position at the end of the meeting. Stoyanov said he hopes the three will be united and is sure they will agree specific steps against any threat in the region.

The minister believes the risks grow every day. He said the three countries must act together and guarantee free navigation without cutting communication lines.

Stoyanov does not expect this to be the last meeting and hopes for more. The reason, he said, is the need for a shared way to respond, not an expectation of new strikes.

A journalist asked whether Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey will step up their naval presence in the economic zone despite legal limits. Stoyanov replied that Bulgaria has no sovereignty in the economic zone.

Asked about a memorandum against military action in the Black Sea, the minister said only political messages and military steps are under discussion. No memorandum to Russia or any other country has been discussed, he said. The steps are the countries' own and aim to protect freedom of navigation. They can be discussed in public only after Romania and Turkey agree to them.

The military prosecutor's office is investigating who launched the drones that hit ships in Bulgaria's economic zone. Only the office can say what it has found, Stoyanov said.

The defence ministry is continuing to modernise the army and to take part in projects against modern threats. The Council of Ministers looks at two memoranda today. The first is on Bulgaria joining a project against low-flying threats, known as the drone project, in which the country will become a member. The second is on buying Mica anti-aircraft missiles for the navy's patrol ships.