Bulgarian President Calls for Accountability After Fatal Fighter Jet Accident

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has called for a comprehensive analysis following the recent inspection by the Ministry of Defense concerning the fighter jet crash that occurred a month ago, which resulted in the deaths of both pilots. He urged the Defense Committee in Parliament to provide clarification after the Ministry announced on Tuesday that it had analyzed the black box data from the incident.

In a statement, Radev criticized any political interference or demands for resignations while the investigation is ongoing, describing such actions as unethical and immoral. He emphasized that the Ministry of Defense's commission must thoroughly investigate not only the organization and training of pilots in the Air Force but also examine communication records. Radev insisted on establishing accountability throughout the entire command chain, highlighting the importance of the Defense and Armed Forces Act, which clearly outlines responsibilities regarding leadership, planning, and capability provision.

We remind you that yesterday, Bulgaria's Ministry of Defense concluded that high-risk decisions by the pilots led to the fatal crash of an L-39 combat training aircraft at Graf Ignatievo Airbase on September 13, resulting in the deaths of Lieutenant Colonel Petko Dimitrov and Captain Vencislav Dunkin. The commission's report indicated that the pilots maneuvered the aircraft too low and attempted a vertical climb without maintaining adequate speed, which created an emergency situation. Despite conditions that would have allowed for ejection, the crew did not act, resulting in the crash. Contributing factors included violations of safety protocols and poor altitude assessment. Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov emphasized that accountability measures would...