Sea-Watch spokesperson Giulia Messmer said the incident is part of a pattern of growing attacks.

“We saw in the last couple of weeks that the violence on the central Mediterranean is escalating … this is definitely not a single occurrence,” she told POLITICO.

Sea-Watch reported that a Corrubia-class patrol boat — identified as belonging to Libya — ordered the Sea-Watch 5 to turn north, a move that would have interrupted the rescue. When the crew did not comply, the patrol boat opened fire, the organization said.

The NGO issued a mayday call and a Frontex surveillance plane later confirmed the Libyan vessel trailing eight nautical miles behind, according to Sea-Watch. The Italian-built boat involved was supplied to Libya in 2018 as part of an EU-backed effort to curb irregular migration, despite repeated allegations of human rights abuses.

The incident mirrors an attack on Aug. 24, when the rescue ship Ocean Viking, operated by the French NGO SOS Méditerranée, came under fire from a Libyan patrol boat financed by EU funds via Italy’s SIBMMIL program, triggering a major political row in Italy and abroad.

Friday’s incident also comes two days after the European Commission defended continued cooperation with Libya, following a letter signed by multiple NGOs urging Brussels to suspend ties.

“What on earth more does the European Commission need to suspend its support for this reckless, unaccountable force?” Judith Sunderland, Associate Director of Human Rights Watch, said on Friday.

“We see no real commitment to Europe’s proclaimed values and will continue to question the current political approach, which offers no security to European citizens or to people who have the right to seek asylum in the EU,” Messmer said.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó hit back in a post on X: “President Zelenskyy is losing his mind to his anti-Hungarian obsession. He’s now starting to see things that aren’t there.”

Ukrainian-Hungarian relations have deteriorated in recent months, as Budapest persists in blocking Ukraine’s EU accession. Last month, Kyiv’s forces started bombing the Druzhba oil pipeline, which fuels Budapest with Russian energy.

In response, Hungary banned Robert Brovdi — a key Ukrainian commander — from entering the country. Ukraine responded by imposing an entry ban on three high-ranking Hungarian military officials.

“Our mirror response to Hungary’s earlier baseless entry ban for our military officials. Hungary’s every act of disrespect will be met with adequate response, especially disrespect for our military,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Friday.

Szijjarto responded by saying Ukraine has “carried out an anti-Hungarian policy for a decade.”