Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria will not send a warship to Red Sea, says defence minister

Photo: BTA

The war in Ukraine poses a risk to shipping, Defence Minister Todor Tagarev said in Blagoevgrad, quoted by the BGNES news agency. That is why Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey are joining forces to clear mines floating in the Black Sea - to ensure the safety of navigation in our waters. 

Minister Tagarev rejected suggestions that Bulgaria would send a warship to the Red Sea, to rescue the kidnapped Bulgarian sailors. Our task is to free them, but we cannot engage in a military mission without a decision by Parliament. "It is not at all about sending troops somewhere in Yemen, we are involved with staff officers," the minister added. Tagarev said that the first hijacked ship had a Bulgarian captain and first mate. They are still on board and have not been released, he said. 

The defence minister is in Blagoevgrad to congratulate soldiers who took part in the KFOR mission in Kosovo and the EU force in Bosnia and Herzegovina "Altea".

Reuters quoted last week U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as saying that several countries have agreed to jointly carry out patrols in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to try to safeguard commercial shipping against attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The ground public transport in the Bulgarian capital stopped operating at 4 am on 14 May 2025

Sofia will remain without bus, tram, and trolley transport also on Friday

For the third day in a row, Sofia will remain without ground public transport, the Center for Urban Mobility announced on its Facebook page. After a several-hour meeting with the capital's mayor Vasil Terziev, representatives of the Confederation of..

published on 5/15/25 9:10 PM

Last day of work: cool, rainy

Rain will begin in the western half of the country on Thursday night and spread across the whole country during the day . Cooler air will also move in. Maximum temperatures will range from 12°C in the west to 20°C in the east, with around 12°C in Sofia...

published on 5/15/25 7:05 PM

It is still unclear whether the transport blockade in Sofia will continue on Friday

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev met with the transport unions, representatives of the protesting employees of the capital's public transport for the second day, who are demanding a salary increase . The meeting ended without reaching an agreement. However,..

published on 5/15/25 6:33 PM