A strategic review of Bulgaria’s defence policy will be conducted in the coming months, said Minister of Defence Todor Tagarev during a lecture at the G. S. Rakovski Military Academy in Sofia, marking the start of the new academic year.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine, alongside the other growing risks and threats to security presents us with the challenge of developing, at accelerated rates, a powerful Bulgarian defence within the frameworks of NATO and the EU,” Minister Tagarev said, and added that the country needs to make up for the technological lag and sever the dependencies on Russia in armaments. In his words, the demographic crisis and other factors are having a negative effect on manning the army with trained and motivated personnel.  

Media reported over the weekend that the Bulgarian government has asked to

• US approves potential 1.5 bln sale of Stryker armoured vehicles to Bulgaria

Over the weekend the Pentagon announced that the US State Department has approved the potential sale of 183 Stryker armoured personnel carriers, means of communication and transport equipment to Bulgaria worth approximately $1.5 billion.