Final Farewell to Pilots Who Died in Training Accident near Graf Ignatievo

Bulgarian military personnel and colleagues paid their final respects to Lieutenant Colonel Petko Dimitrov and Captain Vencislav Dunkin, who lost their lives in the line of duty on September 13. The farewell ceremony took place at the 12th air base in Dolna Mitropolia, where the two pilots were honored with full military rites.

The ceremony was held near the "Georgi Benkovski" Air Force Base and was attended by President Rumen Radev, Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov, Chief of Defense Admiral Emil Eftimov, and Air Force Commander Major General Dimitar Petrov. Many colleagues from across the Bulgarian Air Force and other military divisions were also present. The ceremony began at 10:00 a.m. and concluded around 11:30 a.m.

In his address, President Radev expressed his condolences to the families of the fallen pilots and urged for an end to speculation about the crash until the official investigation provides the facts. He also called for sustained state support for the Bulgarian military, without political interference.

Lieutenant Colonel Dimitrov and Captain Dunkin perished during a training flight with an L-39 ZA combat training aircraft. The flight was part of an airshow marking the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria's accession to NATO and took place on the day of President Radev's visit for a dress rehearsal at the base.