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

Minister Gutsanov attends open lesson on the risks of vaping, laughing gas and designer drugs

Social Minister Borislav Gutsanov will attend an open lesson today at the Alexander Pushkin Secondary School in Varna, organized by the State Agency for Child Protection. The event is part of the campaign that informs children..

published on 4/14/25 7:00 AM

Warming starts, but snowfall expected in the mountains

On Monday, it will be mostly cloudy over most of the country and in some places it will rain. The lowest temperatures will be between 4° and 9°C; in Sofia - about 6°C. The highest will be between 13° and 18°C, slightly lower along..

published on 4/13/25 6:35 PM

Prime Minister condemns Russian missile attack on Ukrainian City of Sumy on Palm Sunday

“I am deeply saddened by the news of the horrific missile attack on the center of the city of Sumy on Palm Sunday,” Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov wrote on the social network X. The Prime Minister expressed empathy for the..

published on 4/13/25 5:32 PM