Asen Vasilev, leader of We Continue the Change, says prime minister Rumen Radev's remarks about a ship hit by a drone have caused a major diplomatic row in Romania. In an interview, he said he does not know how work with the Romanians in the Black Sea will go.

The drone attacks took place on 6 and 13 October. Radev told parliament that four ships were hit in a week in Bulgaria's exclusive economic zone, and two of them sank.

Earlier on this story: Stoyanov: Black Sea conflict is best solved through diplomacy

The prime minister spoke about the attacks again at the opening of the Sofia Economic Forum. He said the ship was hit because the Romanians had found where the threat came from and tried to stop the drone before it struck.

Vasilev says no ships were hit by drones before Radev took office, and that five have been hit in the past month alone.

The interview also turned to electricity bills. The government has sent letters to all businesses in Bulgaria about new rules for the compensation scheme. Until now, a cap on the power price was set each month, and firms got compensation for anything above it. From September to 30 June next year, they will pay the market price, with no monthly compensation. After June, they will get compensation if there is money in the fund, but the amount is not known in advance.

Vasilev says the new rules leave firms to face the market on their own. He says power now costs twice as much as at the same time in 2022, and it will all be paid for through higher prices. With dearer electricity, the price of a banitsa pastry cannot stay the same either, he says.

Vasilev says that at current gas and power prices, the fund, which is filled by levies on energy firms, cannot cover both household and business users. At least one of the two groups, and maybe both, will not get the compensation they need, he says.

Vasilev also asked why the prime minister thinks electricity and heating bills will not rise, when the Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) is an independent regulator. The question came up over the price of natural gas and a possible rise in bills. Vasilev called these claims by Radev more lies.

Vasilev says the European Commission issued a statement on the 2027 budget just minutes before the interview. He says it states that Radev is lying when he claims he is negotiating over pensions and maternity benefits and trying to protect them. The commission also says Bulgaria decides for itself how to split spending in the budget. For that reason, Vasilev believes Radev lied about the talks and that the commission has no role in the matter.