Minister of Defence Dragomir Zakov announced that there is no movement of military equipment through our country for the conflict in Ukraine, and it is for military training. He made his speech during the meeting of the Defence Committee in Parliament. According to him, the opposite allegations are made in order to instill fear in society that „you see, Bulgarian tanks are being exported to Ukraine or Bulgarian soldiers are going to the front.“
„If such news and photos on social media are good campaigns, it is fake news,“ added Minister Zakov, quoted by „BNR“.
The Minister of the Interior assured the MPs that the Ministry of Defence is considering the possibility of providing fighter jets before the F-16s purchased by our country arrive. The option for extended life of the MiG-29 is also being considered. According to Zakov, we are working actively, including, if possible, with our allies.
„The Bulgarian Air Force must maintain capabilities, we cannot afford to lose capabilities. How this will be achieved is a matter of decision. This is an extremely responsible decision that must be made very quickly. We are already in a period in which this decision is beginning to take shape and should be taken in the coming weeks, most likely, or no more than two months.“
The fighters already ordered are expected in the first quarter of 2025.
„The main task at the moment is to ensure the airworthiness of the Air Force in a potential period in which the MiG-29 will not be able to fly due to lack of support, which appears likely given the war in Ukraine and the arrival of new F-16s and of at least air policing capabilities.“, the minister said.
Regarding the price of buying 8 new F-16 fighters from the United States, Minister Zakov clarified that there is no such price so far, because there is still no offer from the US administration. According to him, the offer is expected to arrive in the coming weeks, up to 1 month, but it does not depend on our country, but on the United States. Once the offer is received, a new project for investment costs for the new aircraft must be prepared, he added.
The Bulgarian Navy is checking for mines in the Black Sea, the minister added. He said our forces have enough capacity to monitor and clear mines. He urged fishermen to be careful and signal if they see a suspicious object.
