Bulgaria's Defense Committee Greenlights Transfer of Anti-Aircraft Missiles to Ukraine

Bulgaria to provide old anti-aircraft missile complexes and anti-aircraft missiles of different types to Ukraine, to be used to strengthen its counter-air defense. This was voted for by the Defense Committee at an extraordinary meeting. With 11 votes "in favor", 4 "against" and one "abstention", the draft decision was adopted by the committee.

The draft decision was submitted today (07.12.2023) by Boyko Borissov, Delyan Peevski, Kiril Petkov, Atanas Atanasov and a group of people's representatives.

With it, it is proposed that Bulgaria donates to Ukraine "defective, out-of-order or above-standard portable anti-aircraft missile systems and anti-aircraft missiles of different types". The Minister of Defense will determine the excess quantities in the course of the ongoing Strategic Review of Defense Policy. The list is expected to be ready in January or February.

And now there is a list of the malfunctioning equipment in the Logistics Directorate of the Ministry of Defense, but it is necessary to assess how much of it can be given.

The missiles in question are probably (but unconfirmed) Soviet S-300 of the 5В55Р(К) variant.

If the document is adopted, the Council of Ministers will be obliged to negotiate with the governments of NATO countries for the deployment of air defense and coastal anti-ship missile complexes to "strengthen the defense capabilities of Bulgaria".

The importers offer to train up to four Ukrainian infantry or mechanized companies per year with a total of 160 soldiers. They will come as military personnel without personal weapons and combat equipment.

In addition, it is envisaged that the Ministry of Defense will take the necessary actions to join and contribute, according to...