Bulgarian Armed Forces

The US State Department approved the sale to Bulgaria of 8 new F-16 fighters (F-16 C Block 70) and related equipment, Reuters reported, citing a statement from the Pentagon's Defense and Security Cooperation Agency.

Bulgaria will not give Ukraine fighter jets, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said at a briefing, refuting reports that combat-ready aircraft of the Bulgarian army and other Soviet-made Eastern European countries could be transferred to Ukraine to try to regain control of its airspace.

The United States will send troops to Bulgaria for joint exercises and better interoperability said Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin.

"Bulgaria will accept an American company of armored personnel carriers "Stryker" from Germany for exercises," he was quoted as saying by WorldAkkam.

The crisis between Russia and Ukraine has a global dimension and poses a threat not only to the security of Bulgaria and our region but also to the whole of Europe. This was stated by President Rumen Radev.

The Chief of Defense, Admiral Emil Eftimov, called for a broad political consensus on projects to modernize the Bulgarian army. It currently "does not correspond to the pace of armament and rearmament of neighboring countries," said Admiral Eftimov in a special interview with BNR.

Against the background of the lack of parliament adm. Eftimov warned:

 Addressing the NATO Military Committee in Chiefs of Defence Session in Athens on Saturday, Bulgaria's Chief of Defence, Admiral Emil Eftimov, said security is key to the development of the Western Balkans. "The stability of the Western Balkans is of exceptional importance to Bulgaria as well as to NATO and the European Union.

The refugee centres in Bulgaria  still have available capacity, but are filling up quickly. This was announced by Defense Minister Georgi Panayotov, referring to the information he has from the Advisory Council on National Security under the President He admitted that if the refugee wave escalates - new centres may need to be opened, but that has not yet happened.

Bulgarian Oscar-nominated actress Maria Bakalova christened the ship "St. Cyril and Methodius", wishing the ship to carry the glory of the Bulgarian Navy and bear the name of the illustrious brothers.

The ceremony took place on the day of liberation of Bulgaria's coastal city of Varna today.

The MiG-29 crashed on June 9 during joint military exercises with Serbia in the Black Sea, while the pilot was killed. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

Georgi Panayotov, Minister of Defence in Bulgaria's caretaker government, had a video conference with Mara Karlin, US Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs, Panayotov's ministry reported on Tuesday.
They discussed bilateral defence cooperation and reaffirmed its strategic nature.