Sofia asks Alliance to strengthen Black Sea defence

Official request to the Alliance

Bulgaria has officially turned to the North Atlantic Alliance with a request for military assistance, which should include fighter aviation, missile systems and counter-drone systems. The initiative is driven by the increasing number of attacks on vessels in the Black Sea.

This was announced by Bulgarian Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov.

Rising tensions in the region

According to the head of the defence ministry, the situation in the Black Sea region is gradually escalating. He emphasised that the intensity of attacks is increasing, and recent incidents that occurred near the territory of allied countries indicate the need for the accelerated modernisation of the Bulgarian Armed Forces.

What exactly Sofia requested

Dimitar Stoyanov explained that the Bulgarian side has already sent the relevant documents to the NATO Secretary General and the Supreme Allied Commander.

«Ми надіслали листи та звернення до генерального секретаря НАТО та до верховного головнокомандувача союзних сил із закликом посилити наші можливості, що означає й розміщення додаткових сил на нашій території. Ми очікуємо на їхнє рішення. На цьому етапі ще не підтверджено, чим саме та яким чином нас підсилять» (We have sent letters and appeals to the NATO Secretary General and the Supreme Allied Commander, calling for the strengthening of our capabilities, which also means the deployment of additional forces on our territory. We are awaiting their decision. At this stage, it has not yet been confirmed exactly what and how we will be reinforced), Stoyanov noted.

Commenting on the details of the request, the minister clarified that it covers a wide range of weapons and equipment:

«Ми попросили як авіацію, так і ракетні комплекси, системи протидії дронам та патрульну авіацію. Тобто – весь можливий спектр. Звісно, наші союзники мають обмежені можливості. Румунія також потребує додаткових можливостей, як і країни Балтії» (We have requested both aviation and missile systems, counter-drone systems and patrol aviation. In other words – the entire possible spectrum. Of course, our allies have limited capabilities. Romania also needs additional capabilities, as do the Baltic states), he added.