Eight packages of military aid to Ukraine, including weapons, equipment, and ammunition, have been sent by Bulgaria, strictly following the decisions of the Parliament.

The announcement was made to journalists by acting Defence Minister Atanas Zaprianov in response to a question about photos of Bulgarian self-propelled howitzers “Gvozdika” in Ukraine, which were published on social media.

The minister attended the ceremony to mark the start of the new academic year at the GS Rakovski Defense College. Zaprianov confirmed when asked if Bulgaria had sent such weapons but explained that he could not confirm that the equipment in the photos was a Bulgarian howitzer, as all former Warsaw Pact countries continue to help Ukraine and send such systems.

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All the packages that have been sent are eight; they include different weapons, equipment, and ammunition with strict adherence to the decisions of the National Assembly, Zaprianov emphasized. These are packages with weapons, equipment, ammunition, which were surplus to the Bulgarian army, the minister added. 

The defence minister stated that all packages sent are subject to compensatory compensation, and Bulgaria expects very large sums to be reinvested in the modernization of the army.

There is an increase in enrollment in military schools as we strive to fill 100% of student positions in higher military schools, Zaprianov said, adding that officer departures have stopped.

When asked about Serbia’s purchase of French Dassault Rafale fighter jets, Zaprianov was unequivocal, saying that Bulgaria is a NATO member state and its defence is guaranteed by the allies. Next year they will receive the first eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft and then the other eight, he added. As he stated, it is the normal process followed by countries to replace old equipment with new ones, while the priority of their policy is the integration of the Western Balkan countries into the European Union.

Serbia, like Bosnia-Herzegovina, are members of the NATO ‘Partnership for Peace’ initiative, and Bulgaria is building beneficial neighborly relations with them. As a result, they do not see the rearmament of their armed forces as a threat to their neighbors and accept it as a transparent process of national decision that does not pose a threat to them, he concluded.

Source: AMNA

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