Bulgaria has formally submitted a request to the European Commission for EUR 3.2 billion in funding under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism, the Defence Ministry confirmed to BTA on Monday. This request is accompanied by the National Investment Plan for the European Defence Industry, which was approved by the Read more
Former Bulgarian Defense Minister Todor Tagarev has warned that if Ukraine were to collapse, Bulgaria could be next in line, speaking on bTV. He addressed ongoing efforts to negotiate a peace agreement and end the war between Russia and Ukraine, amid the latest diplomatic exchanges between Washington, Moscow, and Kyiv. Tagarev stressed that peace remains distant despite recent Read more
A Russian paramilitary school was uncovered in Serbia last week. It all started after dozens of people were arrested in Moldova and accused of plotting to organize “mass riots,” and then it turned out that they had undergone combat training in Serbia. Arrests also followed in Serbia itself, where two people Read more
In its statement, Romania’s defence ministry said it detected the Russian drone when two F-16 jets were monitoring they country’s border with Ukraine, after “Russian air attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure on the Danube”. The drone was detected 20km (12.4 miles) south-west of the village of Chilia Veche, before disappearing from Read more
The construction of a NATO military base near the village of Kabile in Yambol Province has officially begun, following approval by the Bulgarian Council of Ministers. The project comes after the government signed a draft agreement with Italy for the joint construction and use of military facilities within the Kabile military district. The base is designed to host the multinational battle group Read more
VMZ-Sopot, Bulgaria’s state-owned arms manufacturer, is set to partner with Rheinmetall, the largest defense company in Europe, for the joint production of NATO-standard 155 mm artillery shells on Bulgarian territory. The details are outlined in a recent government assignment, as reported by Bulgarian National Radio. The plan involves forming a consortium in which Bulgaria will contribute Read more
Zapad-25 is a major joint strategic military exercise between Russia and Belarus scheduled for mid-September 2025, marking the first large-scale Russia-Belarus military drill since the 2021 exercises that preceded Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Exercise Overview and Timeline The exercise is set to take place from September 12-16, 2025, representing the main stage Read more
The production of Bulgaria’s first “Stryker” armored combat vehicles for the Land Forces is underway and progressing according to the planned timeline, Brigadier General Stoyan Shopov, Chief of Staff of the Land Forces, confirmed in an interview with the “Bulgarian Army” newspaper. The vehicles are expected to be transported to the TEREM plant by Read more
At a recent briefing, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Bulgaria, alongside Poland, Finland, and Romania, of taking part in the smuggling of Western weapons from Ukraine. She claimed this illicit trade is tightly controlled by organized crime groups, supported by corrupt officials. Zakharova detailed that weapons are trafficked out of Ukraine through multiple routes, involving Read more
Bulgaria is moving forward with plans to modernize its armed forces, with significant investments expected to benefit not only national defense but also the broader economy. According to Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov, the Ministries of Defense and Finance are in the final stages of analyzing the potential use of the European SAFE instrument as a financial mechanism for these Read more