Bulgarian army

At the Novo Selo training ground today, Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov affirmed that the recent command and staff exercise showcased the NATO Multinational Battlegroup's preparedness to scale up to brigade level if required for Bulgaria's defense.

The process of upgrading the Bulgarian Army's air defense systems has officially commenced. On October 7, an additional agreement was signed between the Ministry of Defense of the Federal Republic of Germany and Diehl Defense, the manufacturer of the IRIS-T SLM systems, regarding the provision of an air defense complex for the Bulgarian Air Force.

Bulgaria's Acting Minister of Defense, Atanas Zapryanov, emphasized that all military aid provided to Ukraine is fully declared and stems from decisions made by the National Assembly. He made these remarks during an interview on BNT, adding that the assistance involves surplus military equipment from the Bulgarian army.

The film "Triumph" by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov has been selected as Bulgaria's entry for the international film category at the 97th Academy Awards, as announced by the National Film Center.

Bulgaria's Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov has confirmed that the country has sent self-propelled artillery units "Gvozdika" to Ukraine. He emphasized that these units are no longer needed by the Bulgarian military, which is why additional parliamentary approval was unnecessary.

The situation remains complicated with the fires in Maleshevska Mountain, Strumyani, and Slavyanka Mountain, as both fronts remain active. Commissioner Valentin Vassilev, regional director of the fire department in Blagoevgrad, reported that about 6,000 decares of state forest territory and over 3,000 decares of agricultural land have been affected in Maleshevo Mountain.

Bulgarian Acting Minister of Defense Atanas Zapryanov announced that surplus supplies and property, deemed unnecessary for the Bulgarian army after thorough analysis, will be offered as military aid to Ukraine.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense has reiterated its stance that it will not send military personnel to Ukraine. This decision remains within the purview of the parliament, which has not authorized such a deployment. The Ministry emphasized that Bulgaria is committed to supporting Ukraine through the European Union's training mission, which aims to bolster Ukrainian military capabilities.

Lieutenant General Mihail Popov, Deputy Chief of Defense, has clarified that the acquisition of the HIMARS rocket launcher is not currently in the immediate plans for the Bulgarian Army.

Vice President Iliyana Yotova expressed reservations about supporting the declaration adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO in Sofia. The document calls for Ukraine to be permitted to use supplied weapons to target military sites inside Russia. Yotova highlighted that many European voices disagree with the decision made in Sofia.