Bulgarian Ministry of Defense

The Hydrographic Office of the Bulgarian Naval Forces has welcomed the arrival of two Teledyne Gavia autonomous underwater vehicles (UUVs). This acquisition is part of a program initiated by the US Department of Defense aimed at enhancing the defense capabilities of allied nations, following a contract established with the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense.

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.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense has announced that Minister Atanas Zapryanov engaged in a video conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Minister Rustem Umerov, as reported by the Ministry of Defense. The virtual meeting took place yesterday.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense announced that the head of the Main Directorate "Intelligence" of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (GUR MO) Kyrylo Budanov and a delegation led by him were on an official visit to Bulgaria.

"The war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was the main factor with a destabilizing influence on the strategic environment, which determined the national security challenges.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense will provide aid to Ukraine of 5,000 sets of winter clothing and 5,000 pairs of shoes.

The humanitarian aid provided through the Ground Forces contains: 5,000 half-coats with lining, 5,000 leggings with lining, 5,000 long-sleeved shirts, 5,000 hats, 5,000 pairs of shoes.

The Council of Ministers decided to provide free of charge to the Government of Ukraine assistance for the protection of its citizens, which consists of personal protection gear - two thousand helmets and two thousand bulletproof vests.

Sources from the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense have reported that a tender for the delivery of drones for the army was announced in the last days of 2019. The value of the contract would be about 13 million euros. Invitation for participation in the contest has been sent to 24 companies from the USA, Israel, Italy, Bulgaria and other countries, BNR reported.

A group of 10 Ukrainian soldiers who received injuries during the fighting in eastern Ukraine was sent to Bulgaria for rehabilitation, the local information portal Novoye tempora reported, quoted by Focus Agency.

The Bulgarian Defense Ministry chose the Russian MiG Aircraft Corporation to provide the Air Force with the integrated logistics service for its 15 MiG-29 fighters for the next 48 months, Jane's 360 reports.

Bulgarian Defense Minister Krassimir Karakachanov signed the agreement on March 6 after talks with the Russian company ended on February 16th.