VARNA — NATO-backed Exercise Breeze 2026 has begun in the Black Sea under Bulgarian Navy leadership, marking the first known edition of the long-running annual drills in which organizers have withheld the customary public details on participating forces, vessels and operational scenarios amid heightened regional security tensions.
The exercise began on June 30 and is scheduled to continue through July 30, according to official NATO scheduling information and Bulgarian media reports. Breeze, first launched in 1996, is designed to improve interoperability among allied and partner maritime forces, strengthen readiness for crisis response and enhance coordination in mine countermeasures, maritime security and other naval operations.
Unlike previous editions, Bulgarian authorities and NATO have not publicly released the number of personnel, ships or participating countries. In earlier years, organizers routinely disclosed those details before or shortly after the exercise commenced. Analysts cited by regional media said the reduced public disclosure reflects the sensitive security environment in the Black Sea following the continuing war in Ukraine, although NATO has not publicly attributed the decision to any specific factor.
Preparatory activities focused on maritime mine threats, coordination among naval units and cooperation with civilian and government agencies in responding to maritime incidents, according to reports citing exercise organizers. NATO has consistently described Breeze as a defensive exercise intended to improve operational cooperation and readiness among participating forces.
The Black Sea has become an increasingly complex operating environment since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with naval mines, attacks on shipping and restrictions affecting maritime security across the region. NATO has repeatedly said the Black Sea remains strategically important to the alliance and that member states continue to work together to enhance regional security while operating in accordance with international law.
The 2026 exercise follows other allied activities in the region this year, including mine countermeasures operations involving Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. Those three Black Sea NATO members established a joint mine countermeasures task group in 2024 to help improve navigation safety in waters affected by drifting sea mines.
Exercise Breeze is expected to continue through the end of July. As of July 4, neither NATO nor the Bulgarian Navy had released additional official information on the scale of participation or the specific forces involved.
